I made a simple game to have Gemini give me the expected daily high temp in Fahrenheit at zipcode 10036 across January 2026. How reliable could AI be at alleviating work and uncovering insights within spreadsheets using the =AI( function?
Table of Contents
The Results
I got 9 actual temperature answers and 22 dodges. That is a 70% failure rate at even generating an answer. When I ask the same question within Gemini itself, it gave me a temp for every date, but in Google Sheets it failed miserably.
The Pattern
This is my experience with AI most of the time. Occasional breakthroughs and depth, with something missing. It’s the new uncanny valley. True agentic action feels just as far away today as it did a year ago. I am still stuck in sandbox mode here.
It reminds me of other platforms that promise seamless integration but fall short in practice. Even established tools like Pinterest have their own quirks when it comes to delivering consistent results across different use cases.
What’s Next
Is there a tool or better approach here that could improve reliability? The gap between what AI can do in a standalone chat versus what it delivers inside productivity tools remains frustrating. Much like the disconnect we see in big tech integrations, the promise and the reality don’t always match up.
Conclusion
AI in spreadsheets showed a 70% failure rate on a simple temperature query. The same question worked fine in Gemini’s chat interface but broke down inside Google Sheets. True agentic AI still feels far away.
We keep seeing occasional breakthroughs mixed with fundamental gaps. Until these tools can deliver consistent results across platforms, we’re stuck in sandbox mode.
Have you found a better approach to getting reliable AI results in spreadsheets? Share your experience with me by reaching out.