Spreadsheets: Standing Strong in the Age of Large Language Models
From Cells to Strategies: The Timeless Dance of Data and Decision
In the age of technological advancements, where large language models like ChatGPT are making so many waves, there is one tool that has stood the test of time and shows no signs of fading away: spreadsheets. Despite the rapid evolution and sophistication of AI models, spreadsheets remain a mainstay in various industries, from finance to marketing, education to healthcare. Especially among CEOs and executives, spreadsheets are favored because they allow data to be presented in a manner that aligns with how the human brain comprehends, making complex data analyses more intuitive and decisions more informed.
Spreadsheets: A Timeless Classic
Since their inception, spreadsheets have been an integral part of data management, data analysis, and reporting. Their user-friendly interface, coupled with robust functionality, has made them the go-to tool for professionals across the globe. The beauty of spreadsheets lies in their simplicity. They don't require any coding knowledge, making them accessible to everyone, irrespective of their technical proficiency. Furthermore, their structured layout and visualization capabilities make information digestible, a feature that top-tier executives heavily lean on.
Most of the CEOs and executives I know just love having spreadsheets in their hands and taking time to sit on the numbers, they do not settle for nice figures and charts in slides or dashboards, they want to understand the details, they want to find what their people could have missed.
The Power of Spreadsheets
The power of spreadsheets is in their flexibility and versatility. They are tools that can be as simple or as complex as you need them to be. With spreadsheets, you can create business plans, follow budgets, build forecasts, track expenses, generate reports, perform complex calculations, and visualize data with charts and graphs. Data professionals often joke about it but it’s truly the most powerful data tool ever.
For those CEOs and executives, a well-structured spreadsheet with lines and rows can paint a clearer picture than a lengthy report or a dashboard, helping them to quickly grasp core insights and make strategic decisions. I don’t see this stopping anytime soon.
Spreadsheets Vs. Language Models: A Complementary Relationship
While it might seem like advanced language models like ChatGPT could overshadow spreadsheets, the reality is quite the opposite. These AI models and spreadsheets serve different purposes and can complement each other rather than compete. ChatGPT by OpenAI and all the series of AI Chat models coming out every other week are revolutionary tools because they use machine learning to generate human-like text based on the input it receives. You can use them for tasks like drafting emails, writing code, creating written content, and even tutoring in different subjects.
However, despite the impressive capabilities of ChatGPT, it doesn't diminish the value of spreadsheets. These models are excellent at generating text and understanding context, but when it comes to handling numerical data, organizing information in a structured manner, and performing calculations, spreadsheets are unrivaled.
The Future: Spreadsheets and AI Together
The future lies not in choosing between spreadsheets and AI models like ChatGPT but in leveraging the strengths of both. Imagine using ChatGPT's natural language processing capabilities to interpret data in spreadsheets and provide insights in simple, plain English.
I envision ChatGPT streamlining the myriad interactions between executives and their teams or assistants, fostering a more lean and harmonious workflow. For instance, an executive could request the model to retrieve specific spreadsheets, slides, dashboards, or charts that the team has prepared. And, for more nuanced, 'non-deterministic' analysis, ChatGPT can perform simple analysis and communicate back to the team, clearly outlining the executive's requirements in a precise and detailed manner. The possibilities are endless. That’s what we are working on with Naas v2 with MyChatGPT, our own version of the ChatGPT interface for organizations.
In a nutshell, while large language models like ChatGPT are transforming our work, spreadsheets are here to stay. Their versatility, ease of use, and robust functionality, combined with their innate ability to make data accessible and comprehensible, make them an irreplaceable tool in our data toolkit. So, let's celebrate the resilience of spreadsheets and look forward to a future where AI and spreadsheets work hand in hand to make our lives even easier.
PS: You can become Alpha users of our ChatGPT-like interface by requesting access here: https://bit.ly/3CFSumN, we are opening 100 seats very soon.