Google fights back with more AI-features for Workspace apps

Google has unveiled a range of upcoming generative AI features for its Workspace applications, including Google Docs, Gmail, Sheets, and Slides, aiming to compete with rivals in the AI space.

The new features encompass AI-driven text generation, summarisation, and brainstorming in Google Docs, akin to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

In Gmail, users can generate entire emails from brief bullet points. Slides will incorporate AI-generated images, audio, and video, drawing comparisons with Microsoft Designer and Canva.

Since the advent of ChatGPT and Microsoft’s chatbot-integrated Bing, Google has been striving to incorporate similar AI capabilities in its services.

In December, senior management reportedly initiated a “code red”, directing staff to incorporate AI tools into all user products within a matter of months.

The Tech Giant started granting “trusted testers” access to AI writing tools in Docs and Gmail on March 30th and plans to share updates on their usage. However, it is yet to specify when they will release the rest of the announced tools to testers or the public, only indicating their availability later this year.

The list of AI-powered features expected in Google Workspace apps includes:

• Drafting, replying, summarising, and prioritising Gmail
• Brainstorming, proofreading, writing, and rewriting in Docs
• Generating images, audio, and video in Slides
• Auto-completion, formula generation, and contextual categorisation in Sheets • Background generation and note capturing in Meet
• Workflow enabling in Chat

Among these, the AI writing and brainstorming tools in Docs and Gmail appear the most promising. Users can input a topic, and a draft will instantly be generated, with AI assistance for refining and editing.

A similar feature will allow users to rewrite or expand text with AI assistance. Google Docs can turn bullet points into polished summaries, with users manually adjusting the tone.

It’s worth noting that Microsoft is rumoured to be integrating comparable features into its Office suite, including Word, Teams, and Outlook.

Microsoft’s AI-assisted search was hailed by CEO Satya Nadella as a new paradigm that could challenge Google’s dominance. The two companies are set to compete in the productivity software arena, with Microsoft having held an event discussing “the future of work with AI” on March 16th.

The race to launch AI products is not without risks. AI text generators can be unreliable, creating false information and reproducing biases from their training data.

As Google incorporates this technology into its enterprise software, such shortcomings could lead to significant issues. The company acknowledges that AI sometimes “gets things wrong” and “requires guidance”, but users may be less forgiving of AI-generated errors that cost them money.