How TabAI stacks up as an Excel AI Agent for Financial Modeling Pros, with Ian and Giles

In this episode of The Mod Squad on Financial Modeler’s Corner, Paul Barnhurst, Ian Schnoor, and Giles Male take a close look at TabAI, a tool designed to simplify and speed up Excel tasks using automation and intelligent suggestions. With more tools dropping out of the market and Excel’s own Agent feature gaining ground, the question is simple: Does TabAI offer something worth switching to? From cleaning data and building dashboards to attempting a full five-year forecast, the team puts TabAI through a series of real-world modeling challenges to see what it gets right and where it still falls short.

Expect to Learn

• Where TabAI shines in helping analysts and where it needs improvement.
• How does it compare to Excel Agent in terms of speed, usability, and accuracy?
• Why finance pros still need to understand what’s going on under the hood.
• What to watch for when relying on tools that promise “done-for-you” modeling.

Here are a few quotes from the episode:

• “Agent was faster, but TabAI handled more advanced stuff better.” - Ian Schnoor
• “AI is great at building things fast, but one small mistake can make the whole model unusable.” - Giles Male

TabAI turned out to be one of the more impressive tools we’ve tested so far, especially when it comes to everyday Excel tasks and building dashboards. It’s not perfect, especially with full-scale models, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. For now, it’s a great helper, but you’ll still need your own modeling skills to get the job done right.

Follow Ian Schnoor:

LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianschnoor/

Follow Giles Male:

LinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-male-30643b15/

In today’s episode:

[02:28] - TabAI Leaves Retail

[05:17] - Competing with Excel Agent

[06:50] - TabAI Feature Overview

[10:30] - The “Iron Man Suit” Claim

[14:28] - eSports Case Test

[23:12] - Dancing Fur Coat Model

[29:14] - Trial Balance Dashboard

[33:56] - Deferred Revenue Test

[38:36] - Full Forecast Model Build

[51:10] - Final Thoughts