Latest news with #Office
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
ChatGPT Is Coming For Excel
Egyptian monthly accounts from the archive of a temple, similar to a modern spreadsheet in analysis. ... More From the Louvre's collection. (Photo by CM Dixon/)This week, there is a very stark example of how things are changing in the race toward artificial intelligence. This involves a household name model, and an administrative technology that's instantly familiar to most personal computer users. Namely, OpenAI's ChatGPT and Microsoft Excel. The latter is a piece of Microsoft's traditional Office suite that's dominated basic software for a decade. Many millions of entry-level clerical workers have demonstrated their prowess with this top spreadsheet in order to get work. Microsoft built its brand on dominating parts of the market like this, while also pioneering the Windows-based GUI. But that was a while ago. Now, ChatGPT is taking over that piece of a new market that has to do with using the spreadsheet itself. Essentially, ChatGPT will make many of those basic clerical workers redundant. That's because in addition to its existing capabilities, the model can now use Excel in highly cognitive ways – like a person. Data and Data Handling Let's contrast the new ChatGPT capabilities with what we already had earlier in the game. In ChatGPT's nascent development phase, the technology was helpful in aggregating data. Humans could put that data in a spreadsheet, conceivably, or use it for any number of other things. Then, ChatGPT became adept at writing basic Excel functions and formulas for us. Think of multipliers and sums, for example. ChatGPT itself came up with this instance: Old way: You had to know =IF(AND(A2>100,B2="Yes"),"Approve","Reject") by heart. ChatGPT way: You just say: "If column A is greater than 100 and column B says 'Yes', mark it as Approve." ChatGPT instantly gives you the formula — correctly formatted. This was part of the vibecoding revolution, where programmers and symbolic analysts realized that they could just use AI to do their work. Hard coding became a thing of the past – just ask the model to do it. And we were still ingesting this democratization of programming when brand new capabilities came along. The new ChatGPT, it is alleged, will be able to open a spreadsheet and populate it, and create results all on its own, without human oversight. That's a new realm of automation that deserves its own accolades, and perhaps its own concern, too. The Information reports on these groundbreaking steps by OpenAI, which seem to encroach on Microsoft territory. Apparently, part of the capability involves creating files that are compatible with MS Office tools Excel and Powerpoint, so that the user doesn't need these applications (or the corresponding licenses) to make something that's compatible with outside software. 'New tools under development will allow users to create and edit spreadsheets and presentations directly within ChatGPT, eliminating the need for Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, or any Microsoft software access,' writes Vasudha Mukherjee at Business Standard. A Wired article by Reece Rogers last week goes into more detail. In the tech media's coverage of this, there's a real 'it slices, it dices' feel to the reporting - as if the new ChatGPT will be that next way station toward office automation that some have been waiting for, and others have been dreading. Documentation of Capability Over at GitHub, you can read more in a readme file attached to project-related items. 'ChatGPT-4, the latest iteration from OpenAI, has demonstrated impressive abilities in linguistic processing and task execution, particularly in the realm of Excel spreadsheet management,' writes a user with the handle Ameenha23 . 'However, it encounters significant challenges that limit its effectiveness in more complex Excel functionalities.' This author notes that the new model 'shows a profound understanding of Excel's operational framework,' enabling it to do analysis and a range of tasks. 'Beyond basic data manipulation, ChatGPT-4 excels in automating repetitive Excel tasks, such as data entry, basic calculations, and standard report generation,' Ammenha23 adds. 'Its interactive support feature provides users with step-by-step guidance on various Excel functionalities, helping them navigate through complex procedures and troubleshoot common issues. This aspect of ChatGPT-4 significantly enhances user experience, making it a handy assistant for both novice and expert Excel users.' Accountant Using Online Spreadsheet For Fraud Investigation getty All of this illustrates the uncanny power of the LLM to 'use' a spreadsheet in eerily human ways. Unlike the old funny paper clip avatar of the past, the model, though not endowed with a visual avatar, is going to be a user. Like Claude and its predecessor, these new agents will be able to use software pretty much just like we humans do. And it's naïve to think that we won't be in direct competition with them. So I thought this innovation deserved its own spotlight now, in July of 2025. You don't have to wait long to get a better look at these technologies. I'm guessing that by September, we'll already see them exploding into the workplace, and sending a lot of those human spreadsheet writers home to reskill, or whatever you're supposed to do to survive the job displacement of the 21st century. At the same time, there are obviously lots of benefits to society as a whole. Perhaps, like some of the contemporary titans of industry have been saying, we'll use people to do more creative things and higher level things, while AI does the grunt work. Either way, it's clear that ChatGPT is acquiring the capability that it needs to do all kinds of human office tasks.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
If I Could Buy 1 "Magnificent Seven" Stock and Never Sell, It Would Be This One
Key Points Microsoft's diversified business helps ensure long-term stability by reducing its reliance on a single segment. Its partnership with OpenAI provides it with access to valuable AI models without requiring in-house development. Investors should be prepared to pay a premium for Microsoft's stock. 10 stocks we like better than Microsoft › The "Magnificent Seven" is a nickname used to describe some of the world's most valuable companies on the stock market: Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), Apple, Nvidia, Meta Platforms, Amazon, Alphabet, and Tesla. Together, these companies account for nearly a third of the , giving them significant influence on the U.S. market and the overall economy. For the most part, all of these have great long-term prospects (Tesla has more bumps in the road, but that's a different topic), but Microsoft is the one that I'm the most fond of. It's the oldest company of the bunch, founded in 1975, but it's built its business to withstand virtually any conditions that come its way. That's why it'd be my choice of the Magnificent Seven stocks to buy and never sell -- and why you should consider it, too. Microsoft is the tech world's one-stop shop When you've been in business for 50 years, you tend to expand your business beyond its initial focus. In Microsoft's case, what began as a company solely focused on operating systems evolved into a comprehensive tech conglomerate spanning multiple industries. Below are some notable categories and what Microsoft offers in each: Software: Windows operating system, Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook, OneDrive) Hardware: Laptops, tablets, and various accessories Cloud computing: Microsoft Azure Gaming: Xbox (and a recent $68 billion Activision Blizzard acquisition, making it one of the largest gaming companies in the world) Social media: LinkedIn (over 300 million active monthly users) Microsoft's diversified business positions it well for the long term by reducing its reliance on a single segment. That is a large part of why its revenue and profit growth have been steady despite broader economic challenges. All eyes on Microsoft's cloud business Like other big tech companies, such as Amazon, Alphabet, and Oracle, Microsoft's most important growth engine is its cloud business, Azure. Azure is the second-leading cloud services provider in the world (21% market share), trailing only Amazon Web Services (AWS) (30% market share). It would be an uphill battle for Azure to catch up to AWS in the near future, but it grew its market share by nearly 10% since 2017. In its fiscal third quarter, ended March 31, Microsoft's Azure and "other cloud services" segment grew revenue 33% year over year, far outpacing any other segment. One key advantage Azure has is Microsoft's partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. The partnership makes Azure the sole cloud provider powering OpenAI's workloads and artificial intelligence (AI) models, enabling Microsoft to integrate OpenAI's AI capabilities more seamlessly into its products and services. Microsoft is already the leader in enterprise software. Adding AI capabilities -- especially ones that don't require tons of resources to develop in-house -- further strengthens Microsoft's ecosystem. A premium price for a premium company Microsoft's stock is far from cheap by most standards, but that shouldn't come as a surprise, given its popularity and dominance. It's currently trading at nearly 34 times its forward earnings, which puts it in the middle of the Magnificent Seven companies, trailing only Tesla, Nvidia, and Amazon. Typically, when you're paying a premium for a stock like Microsoft, you need to be prepared for short-term volatility as investors react to both good and bad news. However, in my case, it's a stock that I don't plan on selling, so the current valuation isn't as important to me as it would be for someone who has a shorter time frame. My strategy with Microsoft for a while has been to dollar-cost average and trust its long-term potential. Should you buy stock in Microsoft right now? Before you buy stock in Microsoft, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Microsoft wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $633,452!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,083,392!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,046% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 183% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Stefon Walters has positions in Apple and Microsoft. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. If I Could Buy 1 "Magnificent Seven" Stock and Never Sell, It Would Be This One was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Ferry fares in Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Atlantic Canada to be reduced as of Aug. 1
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Monday that fares for interprovincial ferries and bridge tolls in eastern Quebec and Atlantic Canada will be cut by at least 50 per cent starting Aug. 1. Fulfilling a promise the Liberals made during the April election campaign, Carney said the ferry operating between Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Souris, P.E.I. will see fare cuts by half for passengers, vehicles and commercial traffic. Similar fare reductions will apply to all federally supported ferry services across Atlantic Canada. In addition, the federal government will reduce vehicle tolls on the Confederation Bridge — which links P.E.I. to New Brunswick — from more than $50 to $20. 'Canada's new government is on a mission to bring down costs and build one, strong Canadian economy,' the Prime Minister's Office said Monday in a press release. 'By cutting tolls on the Confederation Bridge and fares on ferries in Atlantic Canada, Canadians and businesses will save millions of dollars. That means more travel and trade between provinces, a stronger, more united economy, and more prosperity and opportunity for Canadians.' The ferry service between Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Souris is operated by the Coopérative de transport maritime et aérien (CTMA). During peak summer season, a one-way ticket currently costs $59.10 for an adult, plus $110.15 for a car. The federal government owns ferry vessels and terminals and leases them to ferry operators, according to the press statement. Annually, more than 531,000 passengers, 200,000 passenger vehicles and nearly 20,000 commercial vehicles use federally owned ferry services in Atlantic Canada. In addition to Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Souris, ferries provide service between Wood Islands in P.E.I., Saint John, N.B., and Caribou and Digby, N.S.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Microsoft CEO makes bold statement on company's future
In a candid memo released July 24, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed what he called the issue "weighing heavily" on him: the company's ongoing layoffs. More than 15,000 Microsoft employees have been let go in 2025 alone, as part of what Nadella described as a necessary but painful restructuring in the age of AI. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter The company also cut nearly 2,000 additional staff deemed "low performers" earlier this year. "I want to speak to what's been weighing heavily on me, and what I know many of you are thinking about: the recent job eliminations," he wrote. Related: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says that ChatGPT is not the way to superintelligence Recall Nadella wrote a similar note in 2023 - shortly after the company paused raises and announced its first significant layoffs of the post-pandemic era. He faced criticism at the time for placing too much focus on the company's outperformance without acknowledging those difficult moves. Despite the cuts, investors have rewarded Microsoft's leaner operating model. The company's stock closed above $500 for the first time on July 9, a symbolic milestone that arguably underscores Wall Street's growing faith in Microsoft's AI strategy. In his July memo, Nadella used stark language to describe the current environment, stating: "This is the enigma of success in an industry that has no franchise value." "Progress isn't linear," he added. "It's dynamic, sometimes dissonant, and always demanding. But it's also a new opportunity for us to shape, lead through, and have greater impact than ever before." For the past decade, Microsoft (MSFT) has operated under a unifying purpose: to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. But Nadella says that vision now needs to evolve. Related: Analysts unveil bold Amazon stock price target before earnings "We must reimagine our mission for a new era," he wrote. "What does empowerment look like in the era of AI? It's not just about building tools for specific roles or tasks. It's about building tools that empower everyone to create their own tools." This shift reflects the company's broader transformation from a software-centric business to what Nadella calls an "intelligence engine empowering every person and organization to build whatever they need to achieve." Microsoft's strategy hinges on positioning itself at the center of the AI value chain. Its Azure cloud platform is rapidly becoming the infrastructure of choice for AI workloads. OpenAI, as well as other major AI labs and enterprises, use Microsoft's GPU-centric cloud services to train and deploy large models. Copilot, Microsoft's generative AI assistant, has also been integrated into Office, GitHub, and enterprise software suites. More Tech Stocks: Amazon tries to make AI great again (or maybe for the first time)Veteran portfolio manager raises eyebrows with latest Meta Platforms moveGoogle plans major AI shift after Meta's surprising $14 billion move By reframing Microsoft as a platform that enables AI-native innovation, Nadella aims to extend the company's dominance beyond cloud and productivity into the AI-native economy. Nadella's statement marks a strategic realignment that mirrors an entire industry in transition. As Microsoft retools its mission, the world is watching to see if it can balance innovation, values, and leadership in one of the most disruptive technological shifts in history. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Roya News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
UK says ready to airdrop aid, evacuate injured children from Gaza
The United Kingdom announced Saturday its readiness to airdrop food aid into Gaza and evacuate children in urgent need of medical care, as part of growing international efforts to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave. The announcement followed talks between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his French and German counterparts, Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, respectively. During the call, the leaders discussed Britain's plans to expand humanitarian support to Gaza and help evacuate wounded and ill children. A statement from the UK Prime Minister's Office said Britain will cooperate with partners, including Jordan, to carry out the airdrops and evacuations. The joint statement described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "horrific" and emphasized the urgent need for comprehensive plans to transform any ceasefire into a lasting peace. The leaders also affirmed their commitment to working with regional and international actors to support a long-term resolution that enhances security in the region. The announcement comes one day after UN Secretary-General António Guterres sharply criticized the international community for failing to respond to the widespread famine in Gaza, calling it 'a moral outrage and a test of our collective conscience.'
