Internet search giant Google is bringing the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to its Workplace platform.
This, as tech giants such as Google, Microsoft and Meta are all jostling to add generative AI to their services.
Google Workspace – formerly known as Google Apps and later G Suite – is a collection of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products developed and marketed by Google.
The platform consists of Gmail, Contacts, Calendar, Meet and Chat for communication; Currents for employee engagement; Drive for storage; and the Google Docs Editors suite for content creation.
“For nearly 25 years, Google has built helpful products that people use every day – from Search and Maps, to Gmail and Docs in Google Workspace,” says Johanna Voolich Wright, vice-president of product at Google Workspace.
“AI has been transformational in building products that have earned a valued place in people’s lives. Across our productivity suite, advances in AI are already helping three billion users save more time with Smart Compose and Smart Reply, generate summaries for Docs, look more professional in meetings, and stay safe against malware and phishing attacks.
“We’re now making it possible for Workspace users to harness the power of generative AI to create, connect and collaborate like never before. To start, we’re introducing a first set of AI-powered writing features in Docs and Gmail to trusted testers.”
In both Gmail and Google Docs, users will be able to type in a topic they would like to write about − for example, an employee e-mail or a personal note − and AI will instantly generate a draft, which the user can then edit to customise and personalise.
Adds Voolich Wright: “Blank pages can stump the best of us. That’s why we’re embedding generative AI in Docs and Gmail to help people get started writing. Whether you’re a busy HR professional who needs to create customised job descriptions, or a parent drafting the invitation for your child’s pirate-themed birthday party, Workspace saves you the time and effort of writing that first version.
“Simply type a topic you’d like to write about, and a draft will instantly be generated for you. With your collaborative AI partner, you can continue to refine and edit, getting more suggestions as needed.”
However, she points out that AI is no replacement for the ingenuity, creativity and smarts of real people.
“Sometimes the AI gets things wrong, sometimes it delights you with something offbeat and oftentimes it requires guidance. With all this in mind, we’re designing our products in accordance with Google’s AI principles that keep the user in control, letting AI make suggestions that you’re able to accept, edit and change.”
According to Google, the company will launch these new experiences this month via its “trusted tester programme”, starting with English in the US.
“From there, we’ll iterate and refine the experiences before making them available more broadly to consumers, small businesses, enterprises and educational institutions in more countries and languages,” Voolich Wright says.
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