A team from Peking University in China have developed an AI tool called ChatExcel, which can be used in Microsoft Excel to automate calculations based on prompts without the need to set up formulas manually. Launched this February, ChatExcel recently received increased attention and media coverage following Peking University’s post detailing the founding team on Tuesday. Yuan Li, the lead developer of the project, heads the team and is also an assistant professor at the Beijing-based university. She explained that the AI-powered tool was created with the aim of making specialized software such as Excel more user-friendly. Currently, ChatExcel is available free of charge on its website, with no usage limits.
Peking University, founded in 1898, is one of the most prestigious universities in China and is recognized for making significant impacts in the fields of humanities, mathematics, and science. Located in Beijing, it is a research-oriented institution, consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the country.
Yuan Li is an assistant professor of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Peking University. In addition to his post at the university, he is a specialist in the development of AI technology, and was also the leader of the team responsible for designing the new AI-powered tool for Microsoft Excel. Having obtained his PhD in computer science from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, he is currently focusing on artificial intelligence and its applications in the real world.
