HN reacted less to the launch itself than to the question behind it: can AI finally do useful spreadsheet work inside Excel instead of opening one more chat panel? OpenAI’s beta add-in writes directly in the workbook, explains referenced cells, asks permission before edits, and that raised expectations immediately.
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT for Excel in beta on March 5, 2026 and added new financial data integrations inside ChatGPT. The launch targets spreadsheet modeling, due diligence, and research workflows built on GPT-5.4.
Anthropic says Claude for Excel and Claude for PowerPoint now share conversation context across open files, reducing the need to restate data or instructions between spreadsheets and decks. The company also added skills inside the add-ins and expanded deployment through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI, and Microsoft Foundry.
OpenAI introduced ChatGPT for Excel on March 5, 2026. The feature targets paid ChatGPT users and adds spreadsheet-native analysis and formula generation, plus financial data connectivity for regulated workflows.