What ChatGPT Thinks About VBA: AI Meets Excel Automation (2025 Edition)

In 2025, the buzzwords in tech are all about AI, automation, and digital transformation. Tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT are reshaping how professionals work with data and documents.

But here’s the twist: VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), the decades-old Excel automation tool, is still here — and still being used daily by millions of professionals.

So we asked the obvious question:
What does ChatGPT think about VBA in today’s world?

ChatGPT on “Is VBA Dead?”

Answer:

“No, VBA isn’t dead. It’s embedded in Excel, widely used in finance, accounting, and operations, and remains the fastest way to automate local Excel workflows. While AI tools and Power Automate offer modern alternatives, VBA remains highly relevant in 2025 because of its simplicity and availability.”
 

Translation: VBA may be old, but it’s still the workhorse of Excel automation.

ChatGPT on “VBA vs AI Tools”

Answer:

“AI tools like Copilot can suggest formulas or generate summaries, but they don’t replace VBA’s ability to automate repetitive, custom tasks inside Excel. In fact, AI can complement VBA by helping users write or debug macros faster.”
 

Translation: AI + VBA together = supercharged productivity.

ChatGPT on “What VBA is Best At”

Answer:

“VBA is unmatched for quick, Excel-native automation like report formatting, data cleaning, pivot refreshes, and custom shortcuts. It’s the fastest way for end-users to automate without needing IT or cloud connectors.”
 

Translation: When you’re stuck in spreadsheets, VBA is still your best friend.

ChatGPT on “Should Beginners Learn VBA in 2025?”

Answer:

“Yes. Learning VBA provides a solid foundation in logic, loops, and debugging — skills that carry over to Power Automate, Office Scripts, or even Python. Even if you transition to AI-driven tools, VBA knowledge makes you a stronger Excel user.”
 

Translation: VBA is the gateway skill that builds automation confidence.

VBA + AI: The Future of Excel Automation

The truth is, VBA and AI aren’t competitors — they’re teammates.
 

• AI (like ChatGPT) can help write or debug VBA code instantly.
• VBA executes that code inside Excel with lightning speed.
   

It’s not old vs new — it’s better together.

Final Thoughts

In 2025, ChatGPT doesn’t dismiss VBA — it respects it. VBA is still the fastest way to get things done in Excel, especially when paired with AI that makes coding easier.

So the next time someone says “VBA is dead,” you can reply:
“Even AI disagrees.”

Editor’s Note

At ExcelGoodies, we teach professionals how to master VBA and adapt to the future of automation. Our VBA Course shows you how to write macros confidently — and yes, we even teach how to use AI tools to speed up your learning.

Because the smartest move isn’t choosing VBA or AI — it’s knowing how to use both.
 

VBA & Python