What both functions do
Excel's COPILOT function and Google Sheets' AI function accept a text prompt and optional cell data. Each returns a model-written answer to the cell.
=COPILOT("Classify as Positive, Neutral or Negative",A2)=AI("Classify as Positive, Neutral or Negative",A2)Where they differ
- Access: each depends on your plan. Check your license, plan and admin settings first.
- Web results: Google announced Search grounding for the AI function in October 2025, which helps with current information.
- Output: Excel's function can spill results across cells when you pass a range.
What to use them for
Language tasks suit these functions best. Good examples are tagging feedback, summarizing notes, and cleaning up inconsistent text. Fix the allowed answers in the prompt, and test a small sample before filling the whole column.
What to keep away from AI
Do not use a model for totals, tax figures, or anything a regulator or auditor will read. SUMIFS gives the same answer every time. A prompt may not. A sensible pattern is to let AI label text, then let standard formulas total those labels.