Kevin, a household name in tech tutorials, recently shared a groundbreaking strategy to 10x your Excel skills using ChatGPT, OpenAI’s state-of-the-art natural language processing AI. While prior videos boasted fun examples like writing a song for the Kevin Cookie Company, today’s agenda is all business: using AI to significantly enhance productivity in Microsoft Excel.

What Is ChatGPT?

For the uninitiated, ChatGPT leverages advanced natural language processing to provide precise, human-like responses. It’s more than just a conversational partner; it’s a powerful tool for various applications, including making your work in Excel exponentially more efficient.

Before diving in, Kevin suggests setting up an account on ChatGPT. The setup is straightforward: click on the link provided and follow the instructions to access the ChatGPT platform.

How Can ChatGPT Simplify Formulas?

Kevin begins with a simple yet common scenario—calculating the total revenue for the Kevin Cookie Company using Excel. Despite Excel’s built-in function helper, Kevin finds it lacking. Enter ChatGPT. By typing a query into ChatGPT—such as “Write an Excel formula to add up values in cells B2 through B10″—the AI quickly suggests using the `SUM` function. Kevin copies this into Excel, and voila! The total revenue calculation is successful without the usual hassle.

But ChatGPT doesn’t just stop at providing solutions; it educates. Kevin follows up his initial query by asking ChatGPT to explain how the `SUM` function works. The AI offers a thorough breakdown, making it clear that you could also sum up multiple ranges, thus broadening your Excel expertise.

How Does AI Handle Profit Calculation?

Kevin moves on to profit calculations. Here, the AI showcases its utility in handling simple arithmetic, such as subtracting costs from revenue. A quick query to ChatGPT—”Write an Excel formula to calculate the profit with revenue in cell A2 and cost in cell B2″—yields a straightforward formula: `=A2-B2`. Kevin implements this in Excel, confirming the profitability of his cookie venture.

Can AI Assist with Complex Lookups?

Soon, Kevin ventures into more complex Excel functionalities, starting with looking up the price of sugar cookies from a table. Typically, this would involve the `VLOOKUP` function, sometimes in combination with other functions like `INDEX` and `MATCH`. A quick dive into ChatGPT generates the appropriate `VLOOKUP` function, which works flawlessly when pasted into Excel. For alternatives, Kevin asks ChatGPT about other methods and receives a well-explained response about using `INDEX` combined with `MATCH`.

How to Extract Text Efficiently?

Kevin needs to extract the first name from an email address in a different worksheet. While Excel offers Flash Fill to achieve this manually, Kevin prefers using a more automated approach. By querying ChatGPT for an Excel function to “extract all the text before the ‘@’ character in cell A2,” Kevin fetches a combination of `LEFT` and `FIND` functions. Implementing this suggestion into Excel yields the desired results across multiple rows.

How to Count Unique Values?

Counting unique entries in a list has often been a tricky endeavor in Excel. Here, Kevin needs to find the number of unique cookie types sold by the Kevin Cookie Company. A simple query to ChatGPT—”Write an Excel formula to count the number of unique values in a list”—provides a function that Kevin tweaks slightly to ignore headers. The result? A precise count of unique cookie types, matching his expectations.

What About Automating Tasks?

Kevin’s ambitious goal for his final example involves writing macros from scratch. His objective is to create an invoicing app that sends emails to customers based on the amounts they owe. This task is inherently more complex and involves integrating Excel with Outlook.

First, Kevin ensures macros are enabled in Excel by customizing the Ribbon to include the Developer tab. He then taps into ChatGPT to craft a macro that sends emails based on data in Excel. ChatGPT delivers a comprehensive, ready-to-use macro script, which Kevin needs to tweak slightly for correct column references. After enabling the Microsoft Outlook Object Library and implementing the code, Kevin runs the macro flawlessly, confirming its functionality in Outlook.

What Are the Key Takeaways?

By the end of this insightful video, Kevin demonstrates how ChatGPT can not only simplify but also demystify complex operations in Excel. From basic arithmetic to intricate macros, AI’s role in amplifying productivity is clearly showcased.

Kevin encourages viewers to embrace this powerful tool, promising that AI can make even the most daunting tasks manageable, if not enjoyable. The video is a testament to how technology can empower users, making Excel not just a tool but an extension of one’s capabilities.

For those inspired by Kevin’s tutorial, subscribing to his channel promises more cutting-edge insights into leveraging AI in everyday tasks. Given the rapid advancements in AI technology, who knows? The next video might just feature a Kevin AI, taking tutorials to unprecedented heights.