Microsoft launches Copilot AI function in Excel, but warns not to use it in 'any task requiring accuracy or reproducibility'

Certain Windows 365 Copilot users now have access to a new feature in Excel that lets you use Microsoft's Copilot AI to generate formulas, but you might want to be careful how you use it. Microsoft is already warning users that the AI might not always be accurate.

The new "COPILOT" function allows you to skip writing Excel formulas yourself by telling Copilot what you want to do and the cells you want to use. For instance, you could type in "=COPILOT("Summarize this feedback", A2:A20)" to have Copilot generate a formula that summarizes the content in a column of cells. The examples Microsoft suggests in the support page for the COPILOT function focus on classifying, summarizing, and generating content.

However, Microsoft specifically warns not to use it for "any task requiring accuracy or reproducibility," like numerical calculations. Microsoft also advises against using the feature for "financial reporting, legal documents, or other high-stakes scenarios," so basically most of the things people turn to Excel for.

Much like with other generative AI tools, if you're using the COPILOT function, you need to keep an eye out for the AI hallucinating strange results or misunderstanding your prompts, which of course calls its basic utility into question.

Aside from accuracy, privacy is also an obvious concern here. Microsoft says in the announcement blog post that "Your data sent through the COPILOT function is never used to train or improve the AI models. The information you input remains confidential and is used solely to generate your requested output."

This is still a beta feature, so Microsoft is still refining it with the help of user feedback and it isn't widely available yet. Right now, it's only available to Microsoft 365 Copilot Beta Channel users. Functionality is also somewhat limited even beyond the accuracy concerns—the COPILOT function is currently maxed out at 100 calls per 10 minutes or 300 calls per hour. It can't access "live web data or internal business documents," either.