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.

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.

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.

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.

Comment and Share:

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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TL;DR:

• Ant Group, backed by Alibaba, launches AI ‘life assistant’ app, Zhixiaobao.
• The app integrates daily services like meal orders, taxi hailing, and entertainment bookings.
• Ant Group aims to leverage AI for enhanced user experience amidst regulatory challenges.
• The Chinese government has approved Ant’s use of its large language model, BaiLing.
• Ant Group is expanding AI-powered services to merchants, healthcare, and insurance sectors.

The Rise of AI in Asia: Ant Group’s New Venture

In a groundbreaking move, Ant Group, the fintech giant supported by Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba, has ventured into the realm of artificial intelligence with the launch of its ‘life assistant’ mobile app, Zhixiaobao. This innovative app is designed to streamline daily tasks, allowing users to order meals, hail taxis, book tickets, and explore local dining and entertainment options. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly with Alipay, Ant Group’s digital payment platform.

Unveiling Zhixiaobao: A Game Changer in AI

Unveiled in Shanghai on Thursday, Zhixiaobao comes at a time when global tech giants like Google, Meta, and Microsoft are ramping up their investments in AI. These companies are focusing on tighter integration of chatbots and AI assistants to enhance user experiences. Ant Group president Cyril Han emphasised the company’s commitment to harnessing AI’s potential, stating, “Alipay is committed to harnessing AI’s potential to improve the user experience, ensuring that AI assistants like Zhixiaobao become valuable tools in everyday life for all.”

Navigating Regulatory Challenges

Since the Chinese authorities scrapped Ant Group’s initial public offering (IPO) in 2020, the company has been under pressure to overhaul its business model to meet regulatory requirements. Last year, Ant was fined 7.1 billion yuan (US$984 million) for “illegal” acts, and its billionaire founder Jack Ma relinquished control. Despite these setbacks, Ant Group has continued to innovate, with its profits falling by 10 percent in the January-March quarter, as reported by Bloomberg News. The company’s valuation has also dropped by more than 70 percent since the aborted IPO.

Leveraging BaiLing: Ant Group’s Large Language Model

Ant Group describes Zhixiaobao as an “AI-native application powered by Ant Group’s BaiLing foundation model.” The Chinese government gave the green light for Ant to offer products using BaiLing last year. This large language model is a significant step forward in Ant Group’s AI capabilities, enabling more sophisticated and personalised services for users.

Expanding AI-Powered Services

At the Shanghai event, Ant Group also announced a range of AI-powered products tailored for different sectors. These include:

• Merchants: Enhanced tools for managing inventory, customer interactions, and sales analytics.
• Healthcare: AI-driven diagnostics, patient monitoring, and personalised treatment plans.
• Insurance: Automated claims processing, risk assessment, and customer support.

The Future of AI in Asia

The launch of Zhixiaobao signals a significant shift in how AI is integrated into daily life in Asia. As tech giants continue to invest in AI, the competition to provide the most seamless and comprehensive user experience is heating up. Ant Group’s move is a strategic one, positioning the company at the forefront of AI innovation in the region.

Comment and Share:

How do you think AI-powered apps like Zhixiaobao will change your daily life? Share your thoughts and experiences with AI technologies in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates on the latest AI and AGI developments in Asia.

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TL;DR:

• Malaysia successfully diagnosed and treated its first lung cancer case using AI.
• AI-enabled chest X-rays detected early-stage lung cancer, leading to successful surgery.
• 95% of lung cancers in Malaysia are detected at advanced stages, highlighting the importance of early screening.

The Power of AI in Early Detection

In a groundbreaking achievement, Malaysia has successfully diagnosed and treated its first lung cancer case using artificial intelligence (AI). This remarkable feat showcases the transformative power of AI in healthcare, particularly in early disease detection. Doctors in Kuala Lumpur announced that a 67-year-old male smoker with no symptoms was diagnosed with lung cancer through an AI-enabled chest X-ray during a routine health screening.

“The AI system was able to detect subtle changes that could have easily been overlooked,” said Dr Tho Lye Mun, president of the Lung Cancer Network Malaysia (LCNM) and the clinical oncologist involved in the case.

This early detection led to further investigation and confirmation of primary lung cancer.

Early Detection Means Better Treatment

Following the diagnosis, the patient underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure, an upper lobectomy, and lymph node dissection. The surgery was performed by Prof Dr Anand Sachithanandan, LCNM founding president and consultant cardiothoracic surgeon. The patient was discharged just three days after the operation, highlighting the benefits of early detection and treatment.

“Surgery, as part of multi-modal therapy, offers the best chance of a cure for early-stage lung cancer,” said Prof Sachithanandan.

The case underscores the importance of early screening and timely treatment in improving patient outcomes.

The Impact of AI on Lung Cancer Screening

According to the Malaysian National Cancer Registry Report 2017-2021, 95% of lung tumours in the country are detected at advanced stages (Stages III and IV). Lung cancer is the second most common cancer among men and the third most common among women in Malaysia. Early screening can lead to a significant stage shift, enabling doctors to detect more early-stage tumours that respond better to curative treatments.

“Additionally, early-stage therapy is less intensive and more cost-effective,” added Prof Sachithanandan.

The achievement is the result of a partnership between LCNM and AstraZeneca, which initially involved Qualitas Health Group and later expanded to include more partners.

AI-Enhanced Screening: The Future of Healthcare

The advanced cloud-based software utilising deep learning algorithms was introduced at select private hospitals in the Klang Valley and is also available at the National Cancer Institute in Putrajaya. AstraZeneca country president for Malaysia, Vinod Narayanan, emphasised the goal of making lung cancer screening more accessible and cost-effective through AI-enhanced chest X-rays and low-dose computed tomography scans.

The Road Ahead

The successful diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer using AI in Malaysia is a testament to the potential of AI in transforming healthcare in Asia. As AI technology continues to advance, its application in medical screening and diagnosis is expected to grow, leading to better patient outcomes and more cost-effective treatments.

Comment and Share:

What are your thoughts on the future of AI in healthcare? Have you or someone you know benefited from early disease detection using AI? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe for updates on AI and AGI developments.

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