Microsoft has introduced a new term to the corporate lexicon: “vibe working.” Building upon the promise of “vibe-coding” to transform app ideas into reality, “vibe working” aims to liberate office workers from the drudgery of spreadsheets and word documents. This isn’t just a rebrand; it’s AI-powered assistance for everyday office tasks, with a friendlier name and advanced technology under the hood.
At the core of ‘vibe working’ is Agent Mode, a new Copilot feature rolling out to Word, Excel, and soon PowerPoint. Imagine instructing Excel to analyze a sales dataset, generate key insights, and create visuals. Agent Mode can do just that, automating tasks like a dedicated, caffeine-fueled intern. In Word, it can transform a pile of numbers and notes into a neatly formatted report, ready for presentation to your boss. No more pivot tables, late-night Google searches, or tears.
This isn’t Microsoft’s first foray into AI-driven data compilation and summarization. Deep Research and Researcher agents laid the groundwork, and now these capabilities are integrated directly into Office. The timing is strategic, too. Just days before, Anthropic demonstrated Claude, a chatbot that can create and edit Office files without manual intervention. With Claude and OpenAI’s GPT models set to coexist within Office, the productivity suite is poised to become an AI battleground.
For now, Office Agent is available to Microsoft 365 Copilot customers and Personal or Family subscribers on the web, with desktop updates on the way. Microsoft promises tasteful, well-structured PowerPoint decks and Word docs, a far cry from the clip-art explosions of the past. The goal? To free up time for more productive tasks, or simply ‘vibing.’
But will ‘vibe working’ truly save time, or will it introduce new challenges? Verifying AI-generated reports and presentations could become a significant hurdle. Moreover, are we trading data understanding skills for AI prompting skills? The jury’s still out. Share your thoughts below, or reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook.
