Microsoft just deployed two specialized MAI models inside GitHub Copilot and Excel. MAI-Code-1-Flash delivers a 10% higher code accept rate than GPT-5.4 Mini with 10% fewer tokens, while the Excel variant matches GPT-5.6 quality on common workflows while running on older A100 GPUs. Microsoft is basically proving that vertical in-product training can beat giant general-purpose models on cost and speed.
Microsoft is quietly swapping out top-tier models from OpenAI and Anthropic across Excel and Outlook, replacing them with its own in-house MAI models to cut soaring bills. Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman said Anthropic is "extremely expensive" and aims to eliminate that spend completely. The change handles tens of thousands of weekly prompts, marking a clear pivot toward cheaper, self-reliant infrastructure.
Microsoft just upgraded Copilot in Excel with repeatable financial skills, third-party data connectors, and built-in auditability. Analysts can now standardize multi-step tasks like DCF modeling via simple SKILL.md files in OneDrive and query institutional data from PitchBook, FactSet, or S&P Global directly in spreadsheets. Crucially, a new planning step outlines every cell change before Copilot executes it.
Microsoft just rolled out a major redesign for Microsoft 365 Copilot and its in-app experience across Office. The standalone app now loads over 50% faster, cuts complex chat response times by 10%, and adds Work IQ to pull context directly from emails, meetings, and files. In apps like Word and Excel, Copilot acts more like an active editing agent on the canvas than a passive chat box.
Perplexity's Computer agent just arrived inside Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook via native add-ins. The integration eliminates the copy-paste shuffle for the 40% of users exporting to these formats, enabling teams to build financial models, draft documents, and design decks directly from a side panel with cited data from SharePoint and the web.
Microsoft just announced an upcoming Office update that finally lets users banish the floating Copilot button back to the ribbon. The shortcut recently appeared in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, infuriating spreadsheet power users by covering up cells with no way to turn it off. Next week, right-clicking the button will let you tuck it out of sight.
Microsoft just made agentic capabilities in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint generally available, turning Copilot from a passive suggester into an active co-worker. Instead of just listing steps, it can now directly build visuals, restructure documents, and execute multi-step native edits right on your canvas. The update is now rolling out to enterprise and personal Microsoft 365 subscribers.
Microsoft just launched Agent Mode and Office Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot, bringing agentic workflows to everyday office tasks. Powered by reasoning models from OpenAI and Anthropic, the system can write and troubleshoot Excel formulas, collaborate on Word documents, and generate complete PowerPoint decks directly from chat prompts. It is rolling out to Frontier program subscribers on the web first.
Microsoft just added a native =COPILOT function to Excel for Windows and Mac, bringing LLMs directly into the formula bar. You can write natural language prompts and reference cell ranges to classify feedback, generate summaries, or spit out multi-column tables that update automatically when source data changes. Note that Microsoft later announced the formula is slated to retire on September 14, 2026, steering users back to the side pane.
Microsoft just rolled out Copilot for Finance in public preview, plugging ERP data from SAP and Dynamics 365 directly into Excel and Outlook. Analysts can now run variance checks with natural-language prompts, automate ledger reconciliations, and pull customer collection summaries inside email. Why it matters: it targets the tedious data entry that bogs down corporate finance teams.
