Microsoft is embracing the AI trend and aims to transform the way you work, introducing the new term “vibe working.” The company is rolling out a new “Agent Mode” for its Office apps, an AI tool designed to assist with tasks ranging from creating spreadsheets to writing entire documents.
The idea is simple: you start with a single prompt, and then work with the AI, or “agent,” to build out the final product. Microsoft refers to this as the “new pattern of work for human-agent collaboration.” The new feature is now available in the web versions of Word and Excel, with support for PowerPoint coming soon.
Microsoft is especially excited about how this will change Excel. The company says that for too long, the “full power of Excel” has only been available to expert users. It promises that the new Agent Mode, which can “speak Excel,” will make complex tasks much easier for everyone.
However, the early numbers aren’t exactly stunning. In a benchmark test, the Excel Agent Mode only achieved 57.2% accuracy, compared to a 71.3% human score. It’s not clear who those humans were, but it’s not a great look for the new AI.
Agent Mode also works in Word to help you summarize, edit, and create drafts. OpenAI’s latest models power both the Word and Excel agents. If you’re a fan of AI and want to try out “vibe working,” the new features are available now through Microsoft’s Frontier program.
