- Claude can now work across Excel and PowerPoint with shared context
- The AI chatbot interface integrates directly into apps on Mac and Windows
- Anthropic is making these tools available in beta to paying customers now
Anthropic has made a number of contextual changes to Claude to give it more power in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint – now that the AI tool can be accessed directly in apps, this means users can interact with their data and generate slides without leaving the apps.
But Claude will also work between the two apps, allowing users to access Excel spreadsheet data and insights to populate their presentations without having to copy and paste data.
“You can work with a higher degree of efficiency and quality without having to re-explain at every step,” Anthropic wrote.
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You can now use Claude directly in Excel, PowerPoint
Integrating Claude directly into Excel means AI can analyze datasets, help generate formulas and of course summarize and explain information, data and trends. Users can also generate dashboards and charts with natural language prompts.
On the PowerPoint front, this means users can generate entire slide decks from prompts and edit slides from the conversational interface. It also connects with Excel, making it easier to generate presentations from data analysis.
“We’ve provided a preloaded starter set of skills that cover the most common Excel and PowerPoint use cases,” Anthropic said, adding that users can build custom plugins and use third-party connectors.
Paying customers can access beta versions of these updated tools across both Mac and Windows, but the company hasn’t publicly set a target for general availability.
Anthropic has also released a set of instructions for Claude for Excel and Claude for PowerPoint to help administrators get set up.
The move comes shortly after Microsoft unveiled Copilot Cowork, an upgraded platform integrated with Anthropic’s work automation service that aims to turn AI from an interested observer to a full-on helper.
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