Microsoft has significantly enhanced Copilot in Excel, introducing smarter context awareness and data highlights to streamline data analysis. Previously, users needed to manually select specific cells for Copilot to function effectively. Now, Copilot can autonomously understand the context of your work without manual cell selection. This advancement allows users to issue commands like "Show me insights about the data I was just analyzing" or "Sort the table in the top-right," and Copilot will accurately interpret and execute these requests. (techcommunity.microsoft.com)
This improvement is achieved by combining "cell signals" with your chat history, enabling Copilot to construct a comprehensive understanding of your activity and workbook layout. Additionally, Excel now visually highlights the data Copilot uses to generate answers, allowing users to verify and adjust datasets as needed. These features are available on both web and desktop versions for Windows and Mac. (learn.microsoft.com)
These updates are part of Microsoft's broader initiative to integrate Copilot across its products, enhancing user experience and productivity. By making Copilot more intuitive and responsive, Microsoft aims to empower users to perform complex data analyses with greater ease and accuracy.
Source: Windows Report Copilot in Excel gets major boost with smarter context awareness and data highlights
