ChatGPT is the data analyst you need.

ChatGPT is rolling out a major upgrade to its data analysis features, making it easier to add files, work with large datasets, create charts, and gain insights directly within the platform.

What is going on here?

OpenAI is adding new features in ChatGPT for data analysis.

What does this mean?

This starts with a new feature “Connected Apps”: you can now upload files directly from Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive, eliminating the hassle of downloading and re-uploading.

Right now, as you analyze these files, you get boring text answers or markdown tables that you can’t easily copy-paste. OpenAI is changing that. You'll get an interactive table view that updates in real time as you work, allowing for easy exploration and follow-up questions. Need a pivot table categorized by expense type? ChatGPT has you covered.

And for those presentation-ready visuals, you can customize charts directly within the conversation. Hover over elements, ask questions, change colours – it's all there.

Why should you care?

If you're a data analyst, ChatGPT becomes an even more powerful tool in your arsenal, simplifying complex tasks and freeing up time for more strategic work. This update makes data analysis more accessible than ever for non-experts too. No more getting lost in spreadsheets or struggling with Python code.

This will roll out to Plus users in the upcoming weeks. I expect other updates in a similar direction to create a distinction between the free and paid plans of ChatGPT (remember OpenAI made most features free earlier this week). This also puts OpenAI a bunch of steps ahead of Google who announced file uploads and data analysis this week (and hasn’t shipped them yet).