Utilizing ChatGPT as an Assistant in Excel Tasks: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Working with spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel is a highly sought-after skill in business. A conventional way of learning Excel might be a lecture-based session accompanied by a lab exercise. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has created an enormous impact on education. Notably, ChatGPT is the most well-known generative AI application. It can assist teachers with tasks such as lesson planning and creating exercises. ChatGPT can guide a student in studying and doing assignments. Before applying ChatGPT, we must be aware of its strengths and limitations. Therefore, the application of ChatGPT in assisting tasks in Excel is the focus of this study. We conducted an experimental study by investigating ChatGPT’s responses in solving ten commonly encountered Excel tasks, ranked from easy to difficult. The results show that ChatGPT can help complete the tasks. However, many mistakes and pitfalls were discovered during the experiment and are summarized in the discussion. Then, we provide recommendations on how to utilize ChatGPT as an assistant for Excel tasks from a learning perspective. These recommendations can serve as guidelines for instructors to consider in creating their lesson plans on this topic.