Google’s new AI features for Docs, Gmail, and more to rival Microsoft’s workspace tools—here’s what it means

• Google announced it is adding AI-powered tools to Gmail and Workspace.
• The system will write you emails, marketing blogs, and meeting notes.
• The new features will be available to "trusted testers" before being released to a wider audience.

Google and Microsoft are competing to incorporate generative AI into their productivity tools as much as possible. Just before Microsoft's "Future of Work" event, Google announced a major update to Workspace that will incorporate its generative AI models into almost every aspect of its productivity suite.

In a blog post published on Tuesday, Google revealed that its proprietary generative AI technology would enable users to generate text in Gmail and Docs. These two applications will soon be able to produce draft content on any given topic instantly, allowing users to elaborate or adjust the text's tone to suit their needs, whether they want to convey a playful or professional tone.

The announcement reveals Google's desire to keep up with its emerging AI race rivals. Following the debut of ChatGPT in the previous year and Microsoft's introduction of its chatbot-powered Bing in February, the search giant has been working hard to introduce comparable AI capabilities. In December, the company reportedly declared a "code red," with top executives urging staff to integrate AI tools into all its user-facing products, which billions of people utilize, within a few months.

AI tools are coming to Google Workspace

Google has unveiled a range of upcoming features for its Workspace application suite, including Gmail, Docs, Slides, and Sheets. According to the company, here's a summary of what users can accomplish with these tools.

• Create drafts, respond, summarize, and prioritize your emails in Gmail.
• Collaborate on brainstorming, proofreading, writing, and rewriting documents in Docs.
• Enhance your presentations with auto-generated images, audio, and video in Slides.
• Gain insights and analyze raw data with auto-completion, formula generation, and contextual categorization in Sheets.
• Customize backgrounds and take notes during video calls in Meet.
• Optimize workflows and streamline communication in Chat.

According to Google, its upcoming updates to Docs and Gmail will include AI-powered features that generate a draft text as soon as you type in a few words on the topic you wish to write about. These drafts can then be further refined and edited with the help of additional AI suggestions.

The rest of the announcement focuses on fresh APIs and products aimed at developers.

Google empowers developers to create their own models and applications using generative AI—the PaLM API, which allows developers to build on top of Google's best language models. The API also comes with MakerSuite, a tool that enables developers to prototype their ideas.

Developers can access Google's AI models, such as PaLM, on Google Cloud to build their own models and applications using generative AI.

In addition, Vertex AI, a platform utilized by developers and businesses to construct and deploy machine learning models and AI applications, is now incorporating support for generative AI. Initially, the platform will provide foundation models for generating text and images, with audio and video capabilities to be added later. Furthermore, Google is introducing a Generative AI App Builder that enables businesses and governments to create AI-powered chat interfaces and digital assistants.

According to Google, the new features will initially be made available to ‘trusted testers’ before being released to a wider audience. This approach is similar to how the Bard chatbot was initially introduced to a select group of individuals.

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