- Claude now works in Microsoft Excel, reading, editing and explaining each cell
- About a thousand users are testing Claude’s Excel skills before public rollout
- The AI assistant can fix formulas and generate new sheets in seconds
Anthropic has introduced Claude to Excel, a new service that allows users to work with the AI assistant directly in Microsoft’s popular spreadsheet software.
The new tool lets Claude read and modify workbooks, fix formulas and create new spreadsheets from a sidebar.
Each action is tracked and explained, enabling users to see the exact cells or formulas referenced in the process.
Limited beta release and integration of financial data
Anthropic says about 1,000 testers will provide feedback before a wider release, and the rollout is a beta research preview for its Max, Enterprise and Teams users.
The tool expands on Anthropic’s previous financial services initiatives, which already include connections to market data providers such as Moody’s, LSEG, Egnyte and Aiera.
These connections give Claude access to live pricing data, earnings statements and credit reports, providing real-time financial context during spreadsheet analysis.
The integration brings Claude into the same environment used daily by analysts and accountants, signaling a move towards deeper embedding into existing professional workflows.
Several large financial institutions are already using Claude in their operations, including AIG, whose early implementation reportedly reduced company review deadlines by more than 5x while improving data accuracy to over 90%, and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, which recorded around 20% productivity gains, equivalent to 000 hours of saved work.
These are not pilot projects, but implementations on a large scale across risk and portfolio departments.
Although the figures come from company statements, they point to strong productivity demands in an industry that is often cautious about adopting new technology.
By linking Claude to Excel, Anthropic is entering territory already occupied by Microsoft Copilot.
Both systems use AI tools to help users manage complex spreadsheets, but Anthropic’s version adds links to specialized financial datasets and workflows.
These integrations can make Claude valuable to analysts who depend on accurate, up-to-date data.
Still, questions remain about how well the Assistant will perform in production environments and whether it can earn the same trust as Microsoft’s established productivity tools.
For now, Claude’s arrival shows growing competition over who will shape the next generation of AI-powered finance.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
