About a year ago, Microsoft announced the addition of a new “=Copilot” feature to Excel. Its design concept was straightforward: users no longer need to manually enter complex formulas—they can simply describe what they need in plain English, and Copilot will automatically generate the correct functions and calculation logic. This initiative symbolized Microsoft’s ambition to make Excel formula writing more intuitive and closer to natural language.
Just one year later, Microsoft is about to remove the “=Copilot” function from Excel.
This passageThe story goes back to 2025.At the time, various AI companies were still exploring different product directions, trying to integrate AI into various tools to see which features could genuinely improve users’ workflows. As time went on, the industry gradually shifted toward another trend: consolidating scattered AI capabilities into a single platform or assistant so users wouldn’t have to switch between multiple interfaces. Microsoft accordingly re-evaluated the positioning of “=COPILOT” and ultimately decided to discontinue the feature, reasoning that the existing Copilot assistant already covered the same capabilities, making the standalone formula function redundant.
According to foreign media Neowin’s reportMicrosoft recently published a notification in the Microsoft 365 Message Center, titled “MC1454373 – The Frontier =COPILOT function in Excel will no longer be availableIn this announcement, Microsoft detailed the reasons for the adjustment and the follow-up arrangements. The announcement noted that starting from September 14, 2026, users will no longer be able to use the =COPILOT function to call AI to help write formulas. If they still need to describe calculation requirements in natural language, they can instead use the Copilot sidebar in Excel. Microsoft emphasized that this change will not cause users to lose any functionality, as all AI capabilities have been integrated into the Copilot assistant and can operate in a more consistent interface.
From a product strategy perspective, this adjustment reflects Microsoft’s direction in recent years: no longer treating AI as scattered features, but building a unified assistant that works across applications and workflows. For users, this means they don’t need to remember specific commands or function names—they can simply make requests within the same Copilot interface. For businesses, it also makes AI deployment and management more centralized and easier to maintain.
Currently, Microsoft has begun notifying Frontier program customers and is gradually rolling out related updates. With the retirement of the =COPILOT function, the way AI is used in Excel will return more clearly to the Copilot assistant itself, becoming part of Microsoft’s overall AI ecosystem.
Source: KOCPC Chinese