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Leak hints at Grok gaining spreadsheet editing tools

Leak hints at Grok gaining spreadsheet editing tools

Alicia Shapiro
June 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

A person seated at a desk interacts with a large desktop computer displaying a dual-pane digital interface. On the left side of the screen, a spreadsheet is open with columns labeled Date, Sales, and Category, containing data entries like “1/1/2024” and “Product 1.” On the right side, an AI assistant named “Grok” responds to a user prompt—“Help format this data”—with a message: “Sure. I’ll format the data and add a bar chart.” A simple blue bar chart appears beneath the message. The workspace is clean and modern with a light wood desk, a black keyboard, and a blurred background featuring a green plant. The scene suggests intuitive AI integration into everyday productivity tasks.

Image Source: ChatGPT-4o

Leak hints at Grok gaining spreadsheet editing tools

Newly leaked code suggests xAI is working on a built-in file editor for Grok, potentially adding spreadsheet support and positioning the AI assistant to compete directly with Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI in the productivity space.

The discovery came from reverse engineer Nima Owji, who shared the findings publicly. “You can talk to Grok and ask it to assist you at the same time you’re editing the files!” Owji wrote.

TechCrunch has contacted xAI to confirm the leak and clarify what features the tool might offer.

A screenshot of a tweet by Nima Owji (@nima_owji) dated June 22, 2025, announcing that xAI is developing an advanced file editor for Grok, with support for spreadsheets. The tweet reads: “BREAKING: xAI is working on an advanced FILE EDITOR for GROK! It even supports SPREADSHEETS! You can talk to Grok and ask it to assist you at the same time you're editing the files!” Below the tweet is an image of the file editor interface, showing a dark-mode spreadsheet labeled “Untitled.xlsx.” A dropdown menu on the left offers options like Document, Image, Spreadsheet, and Code. On the right side, a sidebar titled “File Chat” suggests prompts like “Set up an inventory tracking sheet” and “Create a monthly budget template.” A chat box labeled “Start a conversation with file” appears at the bottom.

Image Source: Nima Owji’s X Post

A Shift Toward AI Workspaces

While xAI hasn’t formally laid out a strategy for building interactive, multimodal AI workspaces, recent product updates hint at that direction. In April 2025, the company introduced Grok Studio, a dual-pane interface that allows users to collaborate with Grok on documents, code, reports, and even simple browser games. Around the same time, xAI also launched Workspaces—a feature that lets users organize files and conversations in one place.

This evolving toolset mirrors offerings from other major tech players. Google’s Gemini Workspace already lets users edit Docs and Sheets while chatting with the Gemini assistant. Microsoft has integrated Copilot across its Office suite, including Excel and Word. OpenAI, meanwhile, offers ChatGPT with file analysis capabilities for Pro users, allowing them to upload documents and interact with the content directly.

However, Google’s Gemini tools only function within its own platform, while xAI may be aiming for broader file compatibility.

What’s Next for Grok?

At this point, it’s unclear what file types Grok’s editor would support beyond spreadsheets, or whether xAI intends to roll out a full suite of office tools. If the leaked code proves accurate, it may signal another step toward Elon Musk’s broader goal of turning X into a multifunctional “everything app” that combines productivity tools, communication, payments, and social media.

Looking Ahead

If Grok gains the ability to edit spreadsheets and other files directly, it would mark a significant step in xAI’s shift from a conversational assistant to a full-fledged productivity platform. It would also put added pressure on Google and Microsoft, whose AI copilots currently dominate the space.

With Grok already embedded in X’s growing ecosystem, a smarter editor could give users one more reason to stay within that environment—making xAI’s strategy not just about functionality, but about platform stickiness.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.