GPT excels within Excel !

Today I share my experience with a game-changing Excel add-in that uses AI to automate tasks. While it has the potential to improve productivity in ways never before imagined by fusing complicated activities with straightforward user instructions, I would like to start in this blog a larger discussion regarding the social and ethical ramifications of this level of AI integration. Since AI like GPT become an integral part of our apps, understanding its fundamental mechanisms requires that we engage with it directly now. As we go into a day when spreadsheets can hold conversations and analyze sentiment, it will be important to strike a balance between reliance on AI and education to make sure it complements, rather than replaces, human abilities.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and commonplace workplace technologies have finally found each other in the digital office. In the experiment below I have tested an exciting Excel add-in called numerous.ai. Its purpose? In order to make difficult processes as easy as writing a sentence, i helps to turn boring spreadsheet work into an automated, AI-powered experience.

The results obtained by numerous.ai are the pinnacle of the no-code revolution. A user can direct the program with a few example cells and see as the INFER function automatically applies the same reasoning to subsequent rows. No longer do you have to painstakingly construct formulae; instead, you can simply tell the tool what you need, and it will generate the formula for you. With the numerous.ai plugin, even the most cryptic formulas may be deciphered and explained.

The benefits of numerous.ai are obvious, but there are deeper ramifications that should not be ignored. This app is representative of the current trend toward increasing intelligence in everyday applications. The ease of use and productivity gains are apparent, but at what cost? Is there a danger that we will become inert, superficial consumers who have no idea how their applications work?

Furthermore, there is a possible erosion of the requirement for problem-solving, analytical thinking, and even fundamental arithmetic with the rising integration of AI into our daily tools. As a culture, we must find a way to take advantage of AI while also preserving our mental faculties.

It's not hard to foresee a future in which artificial intelligence capabilities like GPT are embedded deeply into the software we use every day. The future is full with possibilities, from email applications that can predict our reactions to spreadsheet tools that can auto-fill data based on context.

Why interacting with "bare" AI is crucial?

The current iteration of AI technologies like GPT are open and permit direct user involvement. When we interact with AI in its purest form, like with ChatGPT, we gain understanding of its brain and how it thinks. Future generations raised with ubiquitous AI  may never get to enjoy such a seamless interaction. Therefore, it is crucial that we value and take use of this 'bare' interaction now, before the tools hide behind the curtain, since it enables us to comprehend the fundamental routines and programs that constitute AI.

Envision a day where spreadsheets routinely incorporate sentiment analysis on feedback such as course evaluations, or where you can have a live conversation with your spreadsheet to ask questions or make changes. This isn't wishful thinking; with help from programs like numerous.ai, the future is already here.

Three major takeaways for schools:

1. Schools can harness tools like numerous.ai to streamline research data analysis, administrative tasks, and student feedback processing. With AI-powered spreadsheets, faculty and students can focus on in-depth analysis and critical thinking rather than mundane data processing.
2. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into everyday tools, universities have a responsibility to ensure students are not only proficient in using these tools but also understand the underlying mechanisms. Curricula should evolve to encompass both the practical application of such tools and a foundational knowledge of AI principles, ensuring graduates are well-equipped for a future dominated by AI.
3. The sentiment analysis capabilities of tools like numerous.ai can revolutionize how schools process and respond to student feedback. By automatically gauging sentiment from textual feedback, institutions can swiftly pinpoint areas of concern or excellence and adapt their educational strategies in real-time, leading to a more responsive and improved educational experience.

Three major takeaways for teachers:

1. Teachers can leverage tools like numerous.ai to quickly assess student performance, track progress, and identify patterns. With AI-aided automation, educators can spend less time on administrative tasks like grading and more time on personalized instruction and curriculum development.
2. The integration of AI into common tools underscores the need for teachers to stay updated with the latest technological advancements. Regular training and professional development sessions can ensure educators remain proficient in using AI tools, allowing them to harness their full potential in classroom settings.
3. With the capability to instantly analyze sentiment and generate responses, teachers can gain insights into student feedback, concerns, and queries. This allows for a more dynamic and responsive teaching approach, fostering an environment where students feel heard and engaged, ultimately promoting a more effective learning experience.

Three major takeaways for students:

1. With tools like numerous.ai seamlessly integrating into common applications, students can streamline research, data analysis, and project management. These AI-enhanced utilities enable students to focus on deeper comprehension and creativity rather than being bogged down by repetitive tasks.
2. As AI continues to permeate everyday tools, it's imperative for students to not only master the practical use of these applications but also develop a foundational understanding of AI's principles. This ensures they remain adaptable and competitive in an increasingly AI-driven world.
3. AI-powered sentiment analysis can offer students a more proactive way to communicate their educational experiences, concerns, or suggestions. They can expect quicker, more personalized responses, fostering a two-way communication channel with educators and institutions. This ensures their voice plays a central role in shaping their learning journey.

This post has been cowritten with ChatGPT. Please beware that AI is fascinating and can catch your full attention for hours. Get the balance right! > more?

The experiment:

With the numerous.ai add-on for Excel you can leave repetitive tasks to GPT. Let's look below at an example with the grades and average of a school class. Based on the calculated grade point average, I manually inserted whether the students pass or fail the semester.  What is exciting now is that I can delegate this to GPT after a sample lines for the rest of the lines. For this I need the INFER function of numerous.ai. It is enough to specify the example cells and the result cells, as well as the lines in which numerous should apply the same.  

The numerous.ai plugin further helps me to write a formula. For this it is enough if I give it a short text what I want to do. From this numerous.ai generates the formula with AI. And I can also insert it into the cell via the button. A nice example for no-code!

At the same time, the numerous.ai plugin can also explain any formula to me.

Using the WRITE function I can also directly access GPT from a cell and send it the prompt combined with text and other cell contents. The result is automatically inserted into the target cell.

The numerous.ai plugin has many more functions. Finally, I would like to show you the use of sentiment analysis. In the following example we have listed 30 short course evaluations from students for one course. The tool manages to determine the sentiment from the text feedbacks. And using the AI function, a suitable answer can be generated at the same time.