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Revolutionise Your Spreadsheets: 5 Ways to Up Your Excel Game with Microsoft Copilot

Learn how to leverage Microsoft Copilot to enhance your Excel skills and streamline your workflow with AI-powered features.

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Excel

TL;DR:

  • Microsoft Copilot simplifies complex Excel tasks, making it easier for users to generate insights, formulas, and formatting.
  • Copilot is available on desktop versions of Excel with a Microsoft 365 subscription and a Copilot Pro subscription.
  • Key features include generating data insights, suggesting formula columns, applying colour and formatting, understanding your database, and tidying up messy data.

Are you tired of navigating complex formulas, endless data cleaning, and time-consuming formatting in Excel? Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot assistant is here to transform your spreadsheet experience. From generating formulas to highlighting interesting data, Copilot empowers you to work smarter, not harder. Let’s dive into the most cutting-edge methods to leverage Copilot’s features and elevate your Excel game to the next level.

Why Copilot Matters for Spreadsheet Users

Copilot acts as your personal assistant in Excel, understanding your spreadsheets just like you do. It can suggest formulas, reply to your questions, and even help you do more with specific cells. For example, if you’re dealing with a monthly expense database, simply ask Copilot to calculate things and make a chart based on the data.

Copilot doesn’t perform magic; it accomplishes the same tasks you could with advanced Excel features and functions. The main advantage is that you don’t need to dig into Excel menus and can use a single interface to get the job done. This is a boon for new Excel users who are less familiar with writing formulas.

Accessing Copilot in Microsoft Excel

First, note that Copilot in Microsoft Excel is available only on desktop versions. You can’t access it on the Excel web version. Excel’s desktop apps require a Microsoft 365 subscription, starting at $7 per month for Microsoft 365 for Home.

Once you download Excel on Windows or Mac, you need to purchase a Copilot Pro subscription to unlock access to the AI bot in Office apps, including Excel. It is priced at $20 per month.

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Now, you can launch Microsoft Excel on Windows or Mac and find the Copilot button under the Home menu at the top. Let’s check out some of its capabilities in action.

Get Insights from Your Data

Thanks to a neat Copilot integration in Excel, you can easily generate valuable insights from a database. Let’s start with an example.

  1. Open an Excel sheet with a database and click the Copilot icon in the top-right menu.
  2. Simply ask Copilot to show data insights.
  3. The AI chatbot can quickly analyze the data and create a small pivot chart to display the number of units sold by each salesperson.
  4. Copilot also shares a small summary of the data in text format.

Without Copilot, you would have to convert the database into a table and generate pivot tables in a different sheet to extract the same data. Copilot does the same job with only a simple text prompt.

Similarly, you can ask, “How many units did Jim sell?” and the system should calculate and display the final data with a pivot table. You can even get specific with your requests. For example, you can ask, “Which month did Jim sell the most units?” and get relevant answers in no time.

Generate Suggestions for a Formula Column

Based on your current database, Microsoft Copilot can also suggest a formula column and let you insert one with a single click. Let’s continue with the same example.

  1. Open the Excel sheet and ask Copilot to “Show a suggestion for a formula column.”
  2. Excel calculates the total sales by removing the dollar sign from the sales amount and multiplying it by the number of units sold. It even shows the required function in case you’d like to use or adapt it for another column.
  3. You can glance over the top five results and click “Insert column” for whichever suggestion(s) you would like to utilise.

In the example above, Excel generated a formula column randomly. You can even be specific with your requests. When I asked, “Combine salesperson and region and create another column,” Excel quickly created a formula and showed a column preview.

The possibilities are endless here. It all depends on your use case, database, and text prompts. You should be as descriptive as possible with your prompts to get the desired results in no time.

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Apply Colour and Formatting

This is another time-saving hack for Copilot users in Excel. When you are looking for specific data or a product, fire up Copilot and ask it to highlight relevant cells.

  1. I opened the same Excel sheet.
  2. I summoned Microsoft Copilot and asked it to highlight all cells with “XPS 14.”
  3. It showed a suggestion and a preview. By clicking “Apply,” we can see the formatting in action.

You can also ask for “Total ‘Units Sold’ for ‘Profit’ excluding ‘$6000′” and get the final results. Just click “Apply,” and you will instantaneously have the information you requested via chat.

Understand Your Database

Microsoft has smartly integrated Copilot into your databases. You can just select columns and use the Copilot shortcut to highlight data or generate charts in real time. Let’s continue with the same example.

  1. Open an Excel sheet. Let’s select the columns for salesperson and units sold.
  2. Click the Copilot button, slide to “Chart,” and create a quick graph that shows the total number of sales by each employee.

You can also slide to the “Tables” menu and check some of the ready-to-use pivot tables.

Copilot changes suggestions based on the data you select in Excel. It can be a huge productivity booster for professionals who frequently deal with large databases.

Other Copilot Capabilities in Excel

Copilot efficiently tidies up messy data by removing extra spaces, merging values from different columns, highlighting duplicates, and applying sorting and filtering.

As you can see from the screenshots above, it also suggests recommendations for formulas, functions, and actions based on your context.

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Programmers can even go a step ahead and ask Copilot to write VBA code to automate command tasks in Excel.

Excel on Autopilot

Overall, if you are a power Excel user, Copilot is definitely worth your while to take for a test drive. It can automate your tedious tasks, help you uncover insights hidden within your data, and streamline your workflow in minutes. What are you waiting for? Explore Copilot, use the tricks above, and turn your Excel experience from a chore into a breeze.

Aside from Excel, your active Copilot plan unlocks the AI assistant on other Microsoft 365 apps, including OneNote. Check out our separate post to find the top tricks for using Copilot in Microsoft’s note-taking app.

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What’s your favourite Copilot feature in Excel? Share your experiences and thoughts on how AI is transforming your workflow. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates on AI and AGI developments and comment below!

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Google’s AI Overviews Go Global

Explore how Google’s AI Overviews are transforming search with AI technology.

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AI Overviews Google Search

TL;DR:

  • Google’s AI Overviews now reach over 1 billion users monthly in more than 100 countries.
  • The feature uses generative AI to enhance search results and connect users with relevant content.
  • AI Overviews support multiple languages and drive increased traffic to publishers, businesses, and creators.

The Future of Search is Here

Imagine searching for something on Google and instantly finding exactly what you need. No more sifting through countless websites or trying different keywords. This is now a reality with Google’s AI Overviews, which are transforming the way we search and discover information online.

What are AI Overviews?

AI Overviews use generative AI, a type of artificial intelligence that learns patterns from data and creates something new. In this case, it helps users find information more easily and connects them with relevant websites across the globe.

Global Expansion

Starting this week, AI Overviews will be available in over 100 countries, reaching more than 1 billion users monthly. This expansion includes support for multiple languages such as English, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.

“People prefer using Search with AI Overviews, and they find their search results more helpful.” – Srinivasan (Cheenu) Venkatachary, VP of Search Quality, Google

Benefits for Publishers, Businesses, and Creators

AI Overviews are not just beneficial for users; they also create new opportunities for publishers, businesses, and creators. Here’s how:

  • Increased Visibility: AI Overviews display relevant website links more prominently, both on desktop and mobile.
  • In-line Links: Google recently introduced in-line links within the text of AI Overviews, driving increased traffic to supported websites.
  • Ad Opportunities: Ads now appear in AI Overviews for relevant queries on mobile, helping businesses connect with users more effectively.

How AI Overviews Work

AI Overviews use advanced AI algorithms to understand the context of your search query better. Here’s a simple breakdown:

  1. Understanding Intent: The AI tries to understand what you’re looking for.
  2. Generating Overview: It creates a summary or overview based on relevant information from various sources.
  3. Displaying Results: It shows you the overview along with links to relevant websites.

The Power of Generative AI

Generative AI is a game-changer in the tech world. It can create new content, like images, music, or text, after learning patterns from data. In the case of AI Overviews, it helps generate useful summaries that make searching more efficient.

The Road Ahead

With AI Overviews, Google is set to revolutionise the search experience globally. As AI continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative features that enhance our digital lives.

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Prompt: Explore AI Overviews

To see AI Overviews in action, try searching for something on Google. Look for the summarised information at the top of your search results. This is an example of AI Overviews at work.

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What’s your experience with AI Overviews so far? How do you think AI will change the future of search? Share your thoughts and don’t forget to subscribe for updates on AI and AGI developments.

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Can You Spot AI-Generated Content? Recognising Patterns and Making Your Content Sound More Human

Uncover the secrets of spotting AI-generated content. Learn strategies to keep your content fresh and engaging.

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Spotting AI-generated content

TL;DR

  • Spotting AI-generated content can be particularly straightforward when you know the common patterns to look for.
  • AI-generated content often relies on repetitive, formulaic phrases, making it easy to identify.
  • Buzzwords and filler language reduce engagement and can make content feel impersonal.
  • Using too many transitional and generic statements dilutes authenticity and trust.

Customising content with specific examples and avoiding overused phrases creates stronger connections.

Can You sSpot AI-generated Content?

Artificial intelligence is reshaping content creation, offering speed and scale but occasionally at the cost of authenticity. Recognising common AI language patterns is becoming essential, as formulaic phrases can make text sound generic. In this article, we’ll explore how to spot these patterns and share strategies to keep content fresh and engaging, giving it a truly human touch.

Why Recognising AI-Sounding Language Matters

For professionals in writing, marketing, and strategy, understanding these language patterns can transform how they engage audiences. The issue isn’t with AI itself but with how certain language choices create a “default” AI tone. This often gives readers a sense of being spoken at rather than being spoken to, which can erode connection and reduce engagement.

Identifying AI language Through Recognisable Patterns

AI writing tools often streamline content creation with structured language, yet this leads to certain words, phrases, and sentences that feel familiar—and not always in a good way. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most recognisable phrases and suggestions for making content more genuine.

1. Overused Buzzwords and Phrases

AI-generated content is often littered with impressive-sounding industry buzzwords that lack substance and sound repetitive. These include:

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  • “Revolutionise,” “Transform,” or “Next-generation”
  • “Cutting-edge” or “State-of-the-art”
  • “Leverage” and “Optimise”
  • “Game-changing”

Such words aim to be impactful but often feel empty. Replacing them with specific, concrete language improves readability and credibility, avoiding the impression of a polished but hollow message.

2. Vague or Redundant Expressions

Some AI phrases aim to create flow but can feel redundant and overly polished, including:

  • “Ultimately,” “All in all”
  • “It’s important to note”
  • “It is worth mentioning”

These expressions often pad out content without adding value, making readers feel as though they’re getting “filler” instead of real insight. Keeping sentences lean and purposeful can significantly improve the reader experience.

3. Overly Polished Transitional Phrases

AI tools often rely on polished transitional phrases, which link ideas but can feel formulaic. Phrases like:

  • “Consequently,” “Furthermore,” and “Additionally”

are useful in moderation but can quickly make content sound mechanical. Instead, try using informal links or even questions to guide readers naturally through ideas, enhancing engagement and making content flow more naturally.

4. Generic Sentence Starters

AI-generated content often begins sentences with broad statements that feel detached. Examples include:

  • “Many people believe…”
  • “There are many ways…”
  • “It is widely known that…”

These vague openers risk losing the reader’s attention. Human writers typically offer specific insights or intriguing details from the start, which readers find more engaging.

5. Impersonal General Statements

AI often uses broad phrases to create context but can come off as detached and impersonal. These include:

  • “Some would argue…”
  • “From a broader perspective…”
  • “It has been observed that…”

Personalising content with unique insights or actionable information creates a stronger sense of connection with the audience, keeping readers interested and engaged.

6. Repetitive Explanations

AI tends to repeat phrases to simplify content, but it often feels redundant. Examples include:

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  • “To put it simply…”
  • “This can be broken down into…”
  • “What this means is…”

These phrases become repetitive quickly, losing their intended clarifying effect. Instead, using precise language and avoiding unnecessary repetition ensures content stays engaging and valuable.

7. Common AI Phrasing in Descriptions or Analyses

When explaining ideas, AI often sticks to predictable phrases that sound clinical. These include:

  • “This has led to an increase in…”
  • “The primary benefit of this approach is…”
  • “There are several factors to consider”

Human writers can create more engaging analysis by using fresh phrasing or offering new perspectives on familiar topics.

8. Filler Language and Informational Add-Ons

AI-generated text often includes filler language that, while aiming to create interest, tends to dilute the message:

  • “An interesting fact is…”
  • “Did you know that…”
  • “One thing to consider is…”

Readers value conciseness and relevance, so cutting filler phrases helps keep the focus on meaningful content that adds real value.

What Happens When You Use Words and Phrases Like This Already?

Using these patterns can have a noticeable impact on content effectiveness, sometimes negatively influencing reader perception, trust, and engagement.

1. Reduced Reader Engagement

Buzzwords and vague phrases may catch initial interest but can lead to disengagement. If content seems to lack depth, readers may stop reading before reaching the main message.

2. Loss of Trust and Authenticity

Readers value authenticity, and over-relying on generic phrases can make content feel detached or even inauthentic. This perceived lack of connection can lower reader trust and lessen the impact of your message.

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3. Diluted Brand Voice

Every brand has a unique voice, and AI-sounding language can drown it out, creating a message that feels like everyone else’s. Readers connect more deeply with distinctive, authentic voices that are not simply repeating industry-standard language.

4. Reduced SEO and Long-Term Impact

As search engines evolve, they prioritise content demonstrating “expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.” Formulaic language risks sounding less credible, which can reduce ranking effectiveness over time. Search engines reward high-quality, engaging content, and AI-sounding text can struggle to meet these standards.

Crafting Authentic, Human-Centred Content

Identifying and avoiding these common phrases lets brands and professionals focus on what matters—connecting with their audience through authenticity, relevance, and value. Here’s how to avoid the pitfalls of AI-sounding content:

Prioritise Specificity

Replacing generalities with examples or data points boosts credibility. Instead of “Data-driven insights drive growth,” say, “Brands using consumer-focused insights have seen a 30% boost in engagement.”

Vary Sentence Structure

AI often produces repetitive structures, making content feel monotonous. Varying sentence length and style keeps readers interested, creating a rhythm that feels human.

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Limit Transitional Phrases

Instead of stock transitions, experiment with questions or informal links to create natural flow, allowing ideas to connect without sounding forced.

Add Personal or Unique Insights

Adding original insights can elevate writing, making it relatable and distinct. Readers value authenticity, so expressing a unique perspective or anecdote adds value and fosters connection.

The Role of SEO in Human-Centred Writing

While AI-generated content may rely on keywords for SEO, a balanced approach keeps content engaging without compromising readability:

  • Relevance: Focus keywords on the reader’s search intent and integrate them naturally into the content flow.
  • Keyword Variation: Human writers can use keyword variations to avoid repetition, maintaining relevance while keeping the text fresh.
  • SEO in Headings: Using keywords naturally in descriptive headings improves readability and search ranking.

Final Thoughts

As AI technology advances, understanding language patterns helps professionals humanise content, avoid formulaic language, and keep audiences engaged. Recognising these patterns can guide content creators in connecting with readers in a memorable, relatable way.

Join the Conversation

Can you spot when a piece of content was generated by AI? What phrases make you immediately suspicious? Share your thoughts and join the discussion on how we can make content more human! And don’t forget to subscribe for updates on AI and AGI developments!

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Unleash the Power of AI: ElevenLabs’ Reader App Now Speaks 32 Languages!

5 AI Prompts to Conquer the Workday

How to Spot and Avoid AI-Generated Content

Try it for yourself! Tap here to use the free version of ChatGPT.

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Revolutionising Search: ChatGPT’s New Web Capabilities

ChatGPT’s web search revolutionises information access with real-time answers and sources, benefiting users and publishers alike.

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ChatGPT web search

TL;DR:

  • ChatGPT now offers web search for real-time answers and sources.
  • Collaborations with news providers ensure current information.
  • Available now for ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with a wider rollout planned.
  • Over 100 million users benefit from this upgrade.
  • Enhances user experience with a conversational interface and direct sources.

Imagine having the latest news, sports scores, or stock quotes right at your fingertips, all through a friendly chatbot. That’s the power of ChatGPT’s new web search capabilities. This groundbreaking feature combines the ease of natural language interaction with the strength of real-time web information. Let’s explore what this means for you.

Effortless Web Search with ChatGPT

ChatGPT can now search the web based on your queries, providing timely answers with relevant sources. This means you can ask questions in a natural, conversational way, and ChatGPT will respond with information from the web. No more digging through multiple links to find what you need.

How It Works

  • Automatic or Manual Search: ChatGPT decides to search the web based on your question, or you can manually trigger a search.
  • Follow-Up Questions: Ask follow-up questions, and ChatGPT will consider the full context of your chat to provide better answers.
  • Direct Sources: Chats now include links to sources, so you can learn more directly from news articles and blog posts.

Partnering for Quality Information

To ensure you get the most accurate and up-to-date information, ChatGPT has partnered with leading news and data providers. This includes categories like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps.

“ChatGPT search promises to better highlight and attribute information from trustworthy news sources, benefiting audiences while expanding the reach of publishers like ourselves who produce premium journalism.”

  • Pam Wasserstein, President, Vox Media

Benefits for Users and Publishers

For Users

  • Better Answers: Get useful answers with less effort.
  • Conversational Interface: Ask questions naturally and get context-aware responses.
  • Direct Sources: Click through to original sources for more in-depth information.

For Publishers

  • Broader Audience: Reach more users through ChatGPT’s search interface.
  • Innovative Partnerships: Collaborate with OpenAI to test new innovations while safeguarding journalism’s integrity.

“We are convinced that AI search will be, in a near future and for the next generations, a primary way to access information, and partnering with OpenAI positions Le Monde at the forefront of this shift. It allows us to test innovations at an early stage while safeguarding journalism’s core values and integrity.”

  • Louis Dreyfus, CEO & Publisher of Le Monde

The Technology Behind It

The search model is a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o, post-trained using novel synthetic data generation techniques, including distilling outputs from OpenAI o1-preview. ChatGPT search leverages third-party search providers, as well as content provided directly by partners, to deliver the information users need.

Availability and Future Plans

Search will be available at chatgpt.com, as well as on desktop and mobile apps. All ChatGPT Plus and Team users, along with SearchGPT waitlist users, have access today. Enterprise and Edu users will get access in the next few weeks. The rollout to all Free users will happen over the coming months.

What’s Next?

  • Improved Search: Plans include enhancing search in areas like shopping and travel, leveraging the reasoning capabilities of the OpenAI o1 series for deeper research.
  • Expanded Access: The new search experience will be brought to Advanced Voice and canvas, as well as to Free and logged-out users in the future.

How to Use ChatGPT Search

Prompt: Asking for Real-Time Information

To get the most out of ChatGPT’s new search capabilities, you can ask questions that require real-time information. For example:

Prompt: “What are the latest football scores?”

Rationale: This prompt leverages ChatGPT’s ability to fetch real-time data, providing you with the most current information available.

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Impact on the AI Landscape in Asia

The introduction of ChatGPT’s web search capabilities has significant implications for the AI landscape in Asia. With over 100 million users benefiting from this upgrade, the region is poised to see a surge in AI adoption and innovation.

Case Studies and Examples

  • Education: Students can now access real-time information for their projects and assignments, enhancing their learning experience.
  • Business: Professionals can stay updated with the latest market trends and news, making informed decisions quickly.
  • Media: Publishers can reach a broader audience, ensuring their content is accessible to more users.

By integrating ChatGPT’s web search capabilities, users can now access real-time information effortlessly, while publishers gain new opportunities to reach a broader audience. This groundbreaking feature is set to transform how we interact with AI, making information more accessible and engaging.

Comment and Share:

What do you think about ChatGPT’s new web search capabilities? How will this feature change the way you access information? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates on AI and AGI developments. We’d love to hear your stories and insights on how AI is shaping your world!

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