PwC engineers built an AI agent to tackle the corporate world's least sexy task: spreadsheets
Business Insider
February 20, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
PwC has developed an innovative AI agent designed to tackle the challenges of managing complex enterprise-grade spreadsheets, which are crucial yet often overlooked in discussions about AI capabilities. Matt Wood, PwC's global and US commercial technology and innovation officer, highlights that while spreadsheets may seem mundane, they are essential for business operations and decision-making. Traditional AI systems struggle with these intricate documents due to their size, complexity, and interdependencies, often failing to provide meaningful insights. PwC's new frontier AI agent, however, excels at navigating and reasoning through these spreadsheets by mimicking the methods of experienced professionals—scanning, searching, integrating data, and analyzing dependencies. This breakthrough has significantly improved efficiency in areas like audits, reducing tasks that once took days or weeks to just hours.
The AI agent's ability to automatically map spreadsheet structures, extract relevant data, and perform validation checks marks a genuine advancement in the field. For instance, it streamlines audit walkthroughs by eliminating manual data entry and validation processes. This innovation not only saves time but also enhances accuracy and consistency, enabling professionals to focus on higher-value tasks. PwC's engineers developed this solution in-house as part of the firm's growing emphasis on engineering talent. The company has introduced a dedicated tech engineering career track to attract top technical expertise, signaling its shift from traditional consulting roles to embrace more AI-driven capabilities.
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Originally published on Business Insider on 2/20/2026