Artificial intelligence in Excel extends beyond Copilot, with both established and emerging tools that can help users analyze data, automate tasks, and work more efficiently.
This presentation answers the question:
How do I decide when to use Excel, AI, or a combination of both?
In this practical session, David Ringstrom, CPA and author of Microsoft 365 Excel for Dummies, explores how to choose between traditional Excel features and AI-assisted approaches based on the work you need to accomplish. You’ll see how Flash Fill, Recommended PivotTables, Excel Tables, Analyze Data, chat tools, and agents can support different types of spreadsheet work. The session also examines Excel’s rapidly evolving AI landscape, including changing Copilot capabilities and new features appearing first in Excel for the web.
David has more than 30 years of experience as a spreadsheet and accounting software consultant and speaker. He has presented over 2,500 live webinars and is the author or co-author of ten books, including Microsoft 365 Excel All-in-One for Dummies, Microsoft 365 Excel for Dummies, Exploring Microsoft Excel’s Hidden Treasures, and QuickBooks Online for Dummies.
In his webinars, David demonstrates every technique twice: first on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and then live in Excel for Microsoft 365 for Windows. He highlights any differences in Excel 2024, 2021, or 2019 during the presentation and in his detailed handouts. Attendees also receive an Excel workbook containing most of the examples he uses, making it easy to follow along and apply the techniques later. David additionally supports Excel for Mac users by answering their follow-up questions via email.
Who should attend:
Professionals seeking to understand how traditional Excel features and emerging
AI capabilities can support spreadsheet work.
Topics covered:
- Choosing when traditional Excel features or AI-assisted approaches better fit the task.
- Giving AI sufficient context to produce more useful results.
- Transforming and separating text with Flash Fill.
- Using Recommended PivotTables to identify useful ways to summarize data.
- Converting static ranges into dynamic Excel Tables for better analysis.
- Exploring data with Analyze Data in Microsoft 365.
- Comparing chat-based AI tools with agents that can take actions.
- Recognizing that AI features can appear, change, or disappear as Microsoft 365 evolves.
- Exploring evolving Copilot capabilities in Excel.
- Previewing emerging Excel features available on the web.
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This webinar explores how to choose between traditional Excel features and AI-assisted approaches based on the work you need to accomplish.
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- Identify situations in which traditional Excel features or AI-assisted approaches may be appropriate.
- Recall how structured Excel data can improve downstream analysis.
- Distinguish between chat-based AI interactions and agent-based capabilities.
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| This activity, ID No. 000000 has been approved for 1.0 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org. |
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
Online
No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
| This activity, ID No. 000000 has been approved for 1.0 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org. |
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
Online
No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
| This activity, ID No. 000000 has been approved for 1.0 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org. |
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
Online
No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
| This activity, ID No. 000000 has been approved for 1.0 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org. |
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
Online
No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
| This activity, ID No. 000000 has been approved for 1.0 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ recertification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org. |
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
David Ringstrom, President & CPA, Accounting Advisors
David H. Ringstrom is a CPA and owner of Accounting Advisors, Inc., an Atlanta-based spreadsheet consulting firm that he started in 1991. David speaks at conferences on Excel and presents scores of webinars each year. He is an author and served as the technical editor for over 30 books on accounting software. Some of his freelance articles on spreadsheets have been published internationally.
Jennifer Robbins, Webinar Manager, Illumeo
Jennifer is a marketing specialist and the webinar manager for Illumeo. She has been a part of more than 500 webinar presentations, supporting our expert presenters and Illumeo users alike. When she’s not moderating webinars, she’s creating and managing marketing content.
This webinar explores how to choose between traditional Excel features and AI-assisted approaches based on the work you need to accomplish.
- Identify situations in which traditional Excel features or AI-assisted approaches may be appropriate.
- Recall how structured Excel data can improve downstream analysis.
- Distinguish between chat-based AI interactions and agent-based capabilities.