Microsoft Copilot in Excel Gets Finance-Specific AI Skills and Real-Time Data Integrations

Microsoft has updated Copilot in Excel with a set of AI capabilities built specifically for finance workers — positioning the spreadsheet as what it calls a "trusted analyst" colleague rather than a general-purpose AI assistant.

The move is notable because it's targeted. Rather than pushing broad AI features onto users, Microsoft says its updates are shaped by what finance teams actually ask for. The result is an expanded set of tools designed for the specific workflows that finance professionals run repeatedly: financial modeling, forecasting, and reporting.

What's New in This Update

The core addition is the concept of "Skills" — pre-built, repeatable workflows that execute tasks like closing the books or refreshing a monthly report. Users can run these without rebuilding the setup each time. The options include:

• Built-in skills from Microsoft's own library for common finance tasks
• Custom skills that individual finance teams can build for their specific workflows
• Partner-built skills available through the Excel ecosystem — including LSEG, Ramp, Rogo, Samaya AI, Velixo, and Vena

For live data, the update adds direct integrations with third-party financial data providers, including CB Insights, Daloopa, FactSet, Morningstar, PitchBook, and S&P Global. These pull in real-time information without requiring manual data exports.

The Broader Competition

Microsoft's move comes as OpenAI and Anthropic are both targeting finance and legal departments with their own domain-specific offerings, including Excel add-ons that compete directly with Copilot. Microsoft is betting that native integration inside the world's most-used finance tool is a stronger position than any add-on can offer.

The updated Copilot AI features are now available for M365 Copilot subscribers, with custom and partner-built skills rolling out over the coming months.

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