Microsoft Introduces “Vibe Working”: Agent Mode & Office Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Microsoft has announced a new “vibe working” approach driven by Agent Mode and Office Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot. The goal: let users start a document or workflow with a single prompt and iterate alongside AI to produce finished outputs.

Key points

• Agent Mode: AI-assisted, iterative workflows inside Office apps — launched for Word and Excel on the web (desktop versions coming soon).
• Office Agent: A Copilot-chat agent that can create PowerPoint presentations and Word documents via a chat-first experience.
• Availability: Both Agent Mode for Excel/Word and Office Agent are available today through Microsoft’s Frontier program for eligible Microsoft 365 Copilot customers.
• Models: Excel and Word Agent Modes use OpenAI’s latest models; Office Agent in Copilot chat uses Anthropic models.

Performance

Microsoft shared benchmark data: Copilot Agent Mode in Excel achieved 57.2% accuracy on the SpreadsheetBench benchmark compared with a 71.3% human score. Microsoft did not detail which user group the human score represents (average users vs. power users), so context is limited.

Why this matters

Microsoft argues that Agent Mode will democratize advanced Excel features — making the “full power of Excel” accessible to more people by letting the agent “speak Excel.” But the benchmark numbers show AI still lags humans on spreadsheet tasks. That raises questions about AI’s current usefulness for complex, high-stakes workflows and whether heavy reliance on AI could affect skill development over time.

Availability & links

• Official Microsoft blog post: Vibe working: Introducing Agent Mode and Office Agent in Microsoft 365 Copilot
• Related Microsoft posts and resources:
  • Empower your workforce with agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot
  • Expanding model choice in Microsoft 365 Copilot

Questions to consider

• Will AI agents produce reliable outputs for complex tasks, or will they require constant human oversight?
• Does reliance on AI agents risk reducing users’ ability to learn and retain critical skills?
• How should organizations measure and validate AI output quality before trusting it for business decisions?

Share your thoughts below: are you excited to try “vibe working,” or cautious about what it means for skills and accuracy?

Sources: Official Microsoft 365 Blog and Microsoft Cloud Blog announcements.