Leaked code suggests xAI is developing an advanced file editor for Grok with spreadsheet support, signalling the company's push to compete with OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft by embedding AI copilots into productivity tools. Engineer Nima Owji revealed on June 23, 2025, that xAI is likely expanding its Grok AI tool with a new feature allowing users to simultaneously converse with Grok and request assistance while editing files.
This development can be seen as an evolution of Grok Studio, launched in April 2025, which already enabled users to generate documents, code, and reports, as well as create Workspaces to organise files and conversations. Google's Gemini Workspace currently offers the most similar functionality, allowing for document and spreadsheet editing while chatting with Gemini during document viewing or editing, though this works exclusively within Google's ecosystem. This move by xAI indicates a significant strategic shift towards more practical, data-centric tasks beyond its current general knowledge and coding assistance capabilities. The development, if implemented, would allow users to make requests such as "summarise sales data for Q3" or "identify anomalies in the budget spreadsheet" directly through the AI interface. While it remains unclear what types of files xAI's editor might support beyond spreadsheets, or whether the company plans to create a full productivity suite that could compete with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, this step certainly advances Elon Musk's ambition to transform X into an "everything app" encompassing documents, chat, payments, and social media.
AI-powered productivity tools represent a high-stakes battleground for tech giants, with Google Workspace holding approximately 50% market share, slightly outpacing Microsoft 365. xAI's approach of combining document editing with simultaneous AI assistance directly addresses the tension between real-time collaboration and feature depth, a strategy similar to what Microsoft pursues with its Copilot features and Google with its Workspace tools. This strategic direction aligns with the broader market trend where 73% of U.S. companies have already adopted AI in some capacity.
Sources:
Rebecca Bellan
TOI Tech Desk
