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Google Workspace gets AI boost with Gemini assistant

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 22 Feb 2024
Gemini for Google Workspace will make AI-powered productivity accessible to businesses of all sizes, says Google.
Gemini for Google Workspace will make AI-powered productivity accessible to businesses of all sizes, says Google.

Tech giant Google has upgraded the artificial intelligence (AI) tools within its Workspace suite, rebranding its AI assistant as Gemini for Google Workspace.

According to a statement, users can now access Gemini in their personal Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets and Meet apps through a subscription to Google One AI Premium, a service that offers additional storage and features in Gmail, Drive and Photos.

The upgrade will streamline tasks and boost productivity for businesses, says Google.

Gemini for Google Workspace also offers features like “Help me write”, enhanced smart fill, image generation, and in the future, AI-powered meeting notes and translation, it notes.

“Millions of small businesses use Workspace to connect, create and collaborate. And they see the value AI can offer," says Aparna Pappu, VP for Google Workspace.

The tech company aims to make AI-powered productivity accessible to businesses of all sizes, especially SMEs.

Google Gemini is a large-scale language model, trained on a massive dataset to generate text, translate languages and answer questions in an informative way. The AI tool can also generate images and provide links to information it provides.

Gemini for Google Workspace comes in two paid plans: Gemini Business (R378/user/month) helps organisations start incorporating AI into their workflows, and Gemini Enterprise, which offers the same features with higher usage limits plus enhanced meeting capabilities (R567/user/month).

Existing Duet AI for Workspace enterprise customers are automatically upgraded to Gemini Enterprise.

Microsoft Copilot, similarly positioned within Microsoft 365 apps, is perhaps the closest overall competitor to Gemini for Google Workspace. It leverages the company's large language models and integrates with tools like Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Google emphasises there are additional enterprise-grade data protections within Gemini for Workspace. “Your conversations with Gemini are not used for advertising purposes or to improve our generative machine-learning technologies.”

This move builds upon Google's efforts to make its presence felt in the generative AI landscape. Earlier this year, its ChatGPT competitor, Bard, was renamed Gemini. Google also offers a premium version called Gemini Advanced, along with a Gemini mobile app for Android and iOS.

Google Workspace users will also get a standalone chat experience: "Chat with Gemini".

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