Microsoft removes the COPILOT function from Excel (support.microsoft.com)

Microsoft has announced that the COPILOT function in Excel will be removed starting September 14, 2026. Previously available as a preview feature and limited to the Frontier and Microsoft 365 Insider programs, this functionality allowed users to generate AI responses directly in spreadsheet cells using specific prompts. From that date, any existing workbooks relying on the COPILOT function will show a #NAME? error for the function calls, while the results of previous calculations will remain in the workbook as cached values. Despite this change, users can still access AI capabilities through the Copilot pane in Excel, which enables tasks like summarizing text, classifying data, and searching for information online. To use this feature, users need to describe their requests in plain language, replacing the previous function syntax with simple commands. This shift underscores a fundamental evolution in how Microsoft integrates AI into its tools, prioritizing user-friendly interactions while streamlining access to powerful AI capabilities, essential for enhancing productivity in data management and analysis.