Google Workspace Adds AI-Powered Automations and More

Google announced AI-enabled automations in Google Workspace and new intelligent capabilities for Docs, Sheets, Meet, Chat, and more today. The new features come nearly three months after the company enabled AI features on all Workspace plans in exchange for small price increases.

With Workspace Flows, which are now rolling out as a Gemini Alpha feature, Google will let Workspace users use custom “Gems” AI agents to automate multi-step processes in various enterprise scenarios. These Workspace Flows can be used to handle customer support requests, as seen in the video demo below.

“We designed Workspace Flows for ease of use; to facilitate work, not complicate it,” the company explained. “Simply describe what you need in plain language and Workspace Flows will design and build sophisticated, logic-driven flows — no complex coding or configuration needed.”

Google is already working with third-party partners to make workflow automation work beyond Google Workspace apps. Microsoft is also developing similar AI-powered automation capabilities with its own Agent flows, which are now generally available in Copilot Studio.

In addition to Workspace Flows, the following AI capabilities are coming soon to Google Workspace customers:

Help me refine in Docs: This feature will work as a personal writing coach, helping users improve the structure of their documents and communicate more effectively. It will be available as a Gemini alpha feature later this quarter.

New audio experiences in Docs: Google is leveraging its NotebookLM technology to let users create audio overviews of their documents, with the ability to have key points explained in a podcast-like format. This will also launch as a Gemini alpha feature in the coming weeks.

Help me analyze in Sheets: This feature will use Google Gemini to analyze spreadsheets, create interactive charts with their data, turn them into slides, and more. It will be available later this year.

AI-generated videos in Vids: Google’s online video editor will get video clip generation capabilities powered by Google’s Veo 2 model. This will be available as an alpha feature in the coming weeks.

 

Gemini in Google Meet and Chat: Later this quarter, Google’s Gemini chatbot will be able to summarize what’s been said in an ongoing meeting and help users get up to speed before they join the conversation. In the coming weeks, Gemini will also be available in Google Chat conversations as a Labs feature.

According to Google, Workspace customers are starting to embrace AI features in Google Workspace. “Gemini in Workspace now provides business users with more than 2 billion AI assists every month, helping people save time and get more done,” the company said. Starting today, organizations are also getting the ability to restrict where Gemini processes their data to comply with regulations such as GDPR and ITAR.