Open Excel or Sheets (or your notes, if you're offline). Write: (1) one real formula job in plain English (2) the one cell you'll check against a known value (3) your pass/fail rule. If AI is available, generate the formula and run the check. You're done when you've recorded the formula plus the check result (pass/fail) in 15 words or less.
How-to · USE · USE.6
Ask the sheet AI for a formula — then check one cell
When Copilot/Gemini in Excel or Sheets writes a formula, treat it as a draft: spot-check one cell with a known answer before you trust the column.
Worked example
Spreadsheet AI is a tool, not an auditor. Plain-English formula requests in Excel Copilot or Gemini in Sheets can genuinely save time — and can just as easily invent the wrong range or a silent absolute reference. The workplace pattern: ask for the formula, paste it into a copy sheet if needed, and verify one known row by hand. You still own sending out the shared workbook.