Subj : Your Microsoft Excel spreadsheets could soon have a lot more AI p
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Jul 16 2024 14:30:06

Your Microsoft Excel spreadsheets could soon have a lot more AI power

Date:
Tue, 16 Jul 2024 13:24:09 +0000

Description:
New encoding tool could make Excel spreadsheets more usable by todays 
existing LLMs and AI tools.

FULL STORY
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Microsoft researchers have unveiled a large language model with the ability 
to enhance the interaction with and understanding of spreadsheets has been 
introduced, marking a significant leap forward for AIs ability to handle 
Excel files. 

Outlined in a paper , entitled SpeadsheetLLM: Encoding Spreadsheets for Large 
Language Models, the team looks to explore the complexities and challenges of 
applying AI to structured, logical and formulaic datasets. 

SpreadsheetLLM promises the ability to combine these datasets with the 
already proven capabilities of large language models. SpreadsheetLLM could 
make AI more efficient in your Excel sheet 

According to the researchers, SpreadsheetLLM is an approach for encoding 
spreadsheet contents into a format that can be used with large language 
models (LLMs) and allows these models to reason over spreadsheet contents. 

The research notes the widespread use of spreadsheets in various business 
operations, from simple data entry to complex financial modelling. However, 
despite the importance of these numerical files, existing LLMs have struggled 
to structure the data and formulas. By encoding the data in a package that 
LLMs can comprehend, Microsofts researchers hope to unlock the processing 
power of current generative AI tools that use existing LLMs within the Excel 
environment. 

By unlocking the full potential of spreadsheet data, businesses using 
generative AI tools could improve their data-based decision-making and 
improve the efficiency of other administrative tasks. 

Although SpreadsheetLLM is currently little more than a research project, the 
work to improve compatibility between Excel files and existing AI tools does 
at least signify the continually evolving power of AI. 

Moreover, while the company has not yet committed to building such a tool on 
a wider scale, Microsofts multibillion-dollar investment in ChatGPT maker 
OpenAI and its subsequent rollout of generative AI functionalities across its 
office apps implies that the tech giant is committed to making AI more 
accessible. More from TechRadar Pro Get a helping hand from the best AI 
writers Weve rounded up a list of the best productivity tools around today 
Not keen on Copilot just yet? ChatGPT's precursor now runs in Microsoft Excel



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/your-microsoft-excel-spreadsheets-could-soon-hav
e-a-lot-more-ai-power


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