AI gets numbers wrong in Excel or a report
LLMs are language models, not calculators. For hard numbers you want formulas or code, not text output.
Try this first
- 1For sums and aggregations: let Copilot or ChatGPT write an Excel formula or Python script, then run it. Copying numeric output is risky.
- 2For a budget or invoice report: AI writes the text around it, numbers come from your accounting system.
- 3For analyses: ask for a method (which sum, which filter) and apply it in Excel/SQL yourself. AI as math oracle is wrong too often.
- 4Models with a code interpreter (Advanced Data Analysis in ChatGPT, Claude with tools) solve this. For business data, a tier with DPA.
- 5When in doubt: do not silently round, ask for the source. 'Source?' is an excellent follow-up.
When to bring us in
An AI report with errors landed with a customer: stop, contact the customer yourself, send a corrected version. We help with messaging if needed.
See also
- Can I paste a customer file or email into ChatGPT?Depends on the account and settings. Free ChatGPT and a Team tenant behave very differently from what most people assume.
- I want a one-page AI policy for my teamA real one-pager beats a thick document nobody reads. Four headers and concrete examples.
- How do I tell if an AI answer is made up?Models sound confident even when they are wrong. A few habits catch most mistakes.
None of the above fits?
Describe your situation below. We pass your input plus the steps you already saw to our AI and return tailored next-step advice. If it's too risky to DIY, we'll say so.
Or skip the DIY entirely
Our Managed IT clients do not look these things up. One point of contact, a fixed monthly price, resolved within working hours.