Why I ditched Copilot for Claude in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint - and how you can, too

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Microsoft 365 users who need some AI-powered assistance with their files have a couple of options. As long as you subscribe to a plan that includes Copilot , you can tap into Microsoft's AI to help you draft, edit, analyze, and summarize your files. Another option now available is Anthropic's Claude, and that's one worth considering.

With Claude AI , you're able not only to work in a single application but also to work across multiple applications. For example, you can ask Claude to generate a PowerPoint presentation based on data in an Excel spreadsheet or create a Word document based on information from a PowerPoint presentation.

Also: How to learn Claude Code for free with Anthropic's AI courses - one took me just 20 minutes

As usual, there are a few requirements. First, you need a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise). That means free accounts aren't supported. Second, you should have a Microsoft 365 subscription. Third, you need the add-ins for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, all of which you can download from the Microsoft Marketplace. Despite the need for Microsoft 365, the add-ins are supposed to work in the 2016 edition or later (Windows and Mac) and the web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.