Microsoft is introducing a new AI-driven productivity feature called Agent Mode in Excel and Word, aiming to bring the simplicity of “vibe coding” to knowledge work. This innovation allows users to generate complex spreadsheets and documents with just a single prompt, transforming how people create professional content. The feature is powered by advanced reasoning models, including Anthropic’s AI, and is part of Microsoft’s broader push to integrate agentic AI into its Office suite. Agent Mode in Excel and Word goes beyond basic AI assistance. Instead of offering simple answers or edits, it breaks down complex tasks into a series of logical, step-by-step actions—similar to how a human expert would plan and execute a project. Users can watch this process unfold in real time through a sidebar that shows each sub-task being completed, making the AI’s work transparent, auditable, and verifiable. This is especially important for business-critical data in Excel, where accuracy and traceability are essential. Microsoft emphasizes that Agent Mode is not just about speed but quality. It’s designed to produce work comparable to what a first-year consultant would deliver—complete with structured analysis, data summarization, and professional formatting. In testing, Agent Mode achieved a 57.2% accuracy rate on SpreadsheetBench, outperforming other AI tools like ChatGPT with .xlsx support and Claude Files Opus 4.1, though it still falls short of human accuracy at 71.3%. In Word, Agent Mode turns document creation into a conversational, interactive experience—what Microsoft calls “vibe writing.” Instead of drafting alone, users engage in a dynamic dialogue with Copilot, which suggests content, refines tone, clarifies requirements, and even pulls in data from past reports. For example, a user can ask for a monthly performance summary, and Copilot will automatically pull in historical data, highlight trends, and compare results—making the process feel like a collaborative conversation. Alongside these app-specific features, Microsoft is launching Office Agent in Copilot chat, a new AI assistant powered by Anthropic models. This tool can generate full PowerPoint presentations or Word documents from a simple prompt. It performs web research, structures slide decks, and offers live previews—addressing a long-standing gap in AI-generated presentations, which have often been criticized for being disorganized or superficial. The rollout is initially limited to the web versions of Excel and Word, with desktop support coming soon. Both Agent Mode and Office Agent are available today through Microsoft’s Frontier program for Microsoft 365 Copilot customers and Personal/Family subscribers in the U.S. This move marks a significant expansion of Anthropic’s role in Microsoft’s ecosystem. While OpenAI remains central to many AI features in Office, Microsoft is now integrating Anthropic’s models into Copilot chat via Amazon Web Services, signaling a strategic shift toward leveraging multiple AI providers to enhance performance and innovation. Microsoft’s goal is clear: to maintain Office’s dominance in productivity by offering AI that doesn’t just assist but actively creates high-quality, professional work. As Sumit Chauhan, corporate vice president of the Office Product Group, put it, “Productivity is our DNA.” With Agent Mode and Office Agent, Microsoft is betting that AI can now handle not just simple tasks, but complex, real-world work—making the future of office productivity not just smarter, but more intuitive.