In August 2025, Microsoft introduced the COPILOT function for Excel, a feature designed to allow users to enter commands directly into a cell, instructing the Artificial Intelligence to perform specific tasks in the spreadsheet.
After one year of availability, Microsoft decided to discontinue this specific functionality. It is important to note that, in the context of Excel, a function refers to a formula that executes determined operations, and the function linked to Microsoft Copilot followed the same logic. To use it, the user had to type =COPILOT (or =copilot) in a cell, followed by the instructions in parentheses.
For example, Microsoft itself demonstrated how to trigger Copilot to summarize content contained in the range of cells A2 to A20, using the syntax: =COPILOT("Summarize this feedback", A2:A20).
The company did not provide detailed justifications for the change, limiting itself to publishing a notice in the Message Center, informing that the COPILOT function will remain active in Excel only until September 14, 2026.
It is known that a determining factor for this decision was the perception of redundancy, since Copilot can already be accessed in Excel through the side panel or via the Dynamic Action Button (the quick access icon for AI).
Therefore, what is being discontinued is specifically the COPILOT function, and not the general integration of Excel with Copilot as an artificial intelligence mechanism.
Additionally, Neowin pointed out that the COPILOT function had significant restrictions, such as not being suitable for numerical calculations or operations that depend on real-time or recent data.
Other requirements included the need for a constant internet connection, as AI activities are processed in the cloud, in addition to requiring a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription. With these characteristics, it is presumed that the impact of the absence of the COPILOT function in Excel will be felt by a reduced number of users.