What about Generative AI?

Generative AI: An Introduction to Concepts, Applications, and Future Trends

This document provides an overview of generative AI, covering its definition, historical context, various types, applications across industries, and future implications. It explores the shift from predictive AI to generative AI, highlighting its accessibility and potential to revolutionize various sectors.

Key Points:

1. Definition and Applications: Generative AI creates original content, spanning text, images, video, audio, and 3D models. It's being applied across industries, revolutionizing communication, content creation, and design.
2. Historical Context and Evolution: AI research began in the 1960s, evolving from predictive and recommendation AI to more advanced forms like computer vision, NLP, robotics, and generative AI.
3. Types of Generative AI: The document details various types, including text generation (ChatGPT), image generation (DALL-E), video generation (RunwayML), audio generation (ElevenLabs), and 3D model generation.
4. Foundational Models and Economics: The document discusses foundational models developed by companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and DeepSeek, highlighting the economic landscape and investment focus in AI.
5. Future Trends and Skills: The document emphasizes the importance of skills like analytical and creative thinking, technology literacy, and lifelong learning, as highlighted by the World Economic Forum. It also touches on the future of jobs and the potential of AI to revolutionize industries through robotics and multimodal models.
6. Key Terminologies: The document introduces key terminologies like Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), LangChain, and Grounding, which are essential for understanding and working with AI.

In conclusion, generative AI represents a significant leap in technological advancement, transforming how we interact with machines and create content. From its origins in predictive algorithms to its current capabilities in generating diverse media, AI is becoming increasingly accessible and powerful. Understanding the evolution, types, economic factors, and future trends of generative AI is crucial for individuals and organizations seeking to leverage its potential and adapt to the changing landscape.

Generative AI can significantly aid in coding VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) in Excel by automating repetitive tasks, generating code snippets, and improving existing code [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails][How People are Really Using Generative AI Now]. It acts as an intelligent co-pilot, assisting both novice and experienced users [Best AI Tools for Spreadsheets in 2025: Transform Your Data ...].

Key benefits:

1. Code Generation: AI tools can generate VBA code for various tasks, such as creating formulas, automating data transfers, and generating reports [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails][Best AI Tools for Spreadsheets in 2025: Transform Your Data ...]. For instance, you can use AI to create a math quiz in Excel using VBA [How People are Really Using Generative AI Now].
2. Code Assistance:  AI can help in debugging, auditing, and improving VBA code within Excel financial models [AI Tools for Commercial Real Estate (Spring+ 2025 Edition)][The best AI for coding in 2025 (including two new top picks - and ...]. By analyzing code, AI can identify errors, suggest improvements, and optimize performance [AI Tools for Commercial Real Estate (Spring+ 2025 Edition)].
3. Accessibility: AI tools can make VBA coding more accessible to users without extensive technical knowledge [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails]. Features like drag-and-drop interfaces and conversational analytics allow users to create and modify code using natural language [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails].
4. Time Savings: By automating code generation and providing intelligent suggestions, AI can save significant time and effort in developing VBA solutions [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails]. This allows users to focus on more strategic tasks and insights [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails].

Several AI-powered tools and platforms offer functionalities that support VBA coding in Excel, including Ajelix AI, GPTExcel, and Microsoft's GPT for Excel [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails][Best AI Tools for Spreadsheets in 2025: Transform Your Data ...]. These tools provide features such as code generation, script generation, and AI chatbots to assist with coding tasks [12 Top AI Plugins for Excel in 2025 - Datarails].

 

 2025-01-21 About Visual Basic for Applications in MSExcel - Excel-VBA

We are sure our esteemed readers are quite aware of what Visual Basic For Applications (VBA) is and how it can be accessed from the Microsoft Excel interface, still, to put the basics into the right perspective, we shall revise the same. So, first you have to learn how to enable the Developer's Menu in Microsoft Excel. So first you have to go to the main menu of excel and then scroll down to the option menu, as shown in the below Figure 1. On the bottom left hand corner you will find Options, with the quick access short-cut key as "T".

Figure 1 - Main Menu of Excel

Okay, now that you have discovered the Options menu, you just click it and VOILA, the options Dialog Box appears, as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2 - Options Dialog Box

In the options Dialog Box, you can see that the "Customize Ribbon" option has already been selected in the left hand menu (appearing under 'Excel Options'). If the right hand 'Customize the Ribbon' does not show "Developer", as it does in the above figure, it could be that your graphic resolution may be a little lower than what is needed to display, in which case you just have to scroll down under the "Main Tabs", till you come to "Developer", nestled between "Automate" and "Add-Ins" options. By default, it would be unchecked, so you just have to click on it with your mouse, or navigate with your keyboard arrows and press space-bar. VOILA, the Developer menu will appear in your main Excel Interface, as shown in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 - Excel Main Interface

That is all that you need, to enable "Developer" menu. In order to start coding in the Visual Basic Environment (VBE), all you have to do is to click on the "Visual Basic" icon that appears on the extreme left corner of the "Developer" menu.

Figure 4 - Developer Menu Selected

Okay, so now, when you click Visual Basic, what happens is that a new windows opens up, as shown below.

Figure 5 - Visual Basic Environment Window

In this window, you can finally start coding. At this point of time, all we can say is that using the "Insert" Menu, you can insert a new Module, Class Module or Userform, which will have to be coded, for it to work, and you have to plan your code in advance before you can start designing the Userform. The Class Module is something that you will learn in the "Advanced VBA Training" sessions, while in the "Basic VBA Training" you will receive training on how to use the "Macro Recorder" in MS Excel to create a new module and later how to code your own module(s) to create "User Defined Functions (UDF)" and to create various Sub-Procedures for carrying out an instruction on the given data.

That's all, folks, for this post. Apply now for the "Visual Basic for Applications (Excel-VBA)" course today itself by logging onto "Excel Trainer Ahmedabad Blog", where the link to join the classes will be avaliable after January 30th, 2025. This facility is also likely to be made available at my Excel-VBA-AHMFCA Website too, so be dure to check there as well. Cheers !!

CA Vikram Shankar Mathur
cavs.mathur@gmail.com

+91-9998090111 / +91-8460890111

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