Gemini for Google Workspace brings Google’s latest generative AI innovations into the Workspace tools teams use every day, from Docs to Google Meet. It’s essentially Google’s competitor to Microsoft’s Copilot suite for Microsoft 365 (with a similar price tag).
On a basic level, Gemini for Google Workspace is an evolution of Duet AI, the previous Copilot competitor introduced in 2023. Though many of the things you can do with Gemini (such as editing docs and summarizing content) are the same, the underlying tech is different. Gemini for Google Workspace is powered by Google’s ever-evolving range of Gemini large language models.
For a while, it was uncertain what this new technology would mean for the Workspace suite. However, during Google I/O 2024, the company announced a range of Gemini updates, affecting Workspace and its other popular apps. Here’s what you can do with Gemini Google Workspace right now (and what you’ll be able to do soon).
What is Gemini for Google Workspace?
Gemini for Google Workspace is an add-on for Workspace users that allows them to embed Google’s AI-powered assistance into tools like Gmail, Google Sheets, Docs, and more. Google describes it as a “collaborative partner”, designed to boost productivity and creativity, while ensuring every employee retains control over their data.
Similar to Duet AI, Gemini helps users get more from their Google apps, whether they’re drafting emails, organizing project plans, or creating content. As of 2024, the solution has been upgraded to include Google’s latest version of its Gemini Pro model (Gemini 1.5 Pro). It’s also available to more people, supports more languages, and has more features than before.
Currently, there are two plans available for Gemini in Google Workspace. Notably, these are “add-ons” to your existing Workspace plan, such as Business Starter, Standard, Plus, and Enterprise.
- Gemini Business: $20 per month per user. This includes Gemini in Gmail, Docs, Slides, Meet, and Sheets, enterprise-grade security, and access to the most advanced Gemini models. It also includes full access to the Gemini chat solution.
- Gemini Enterprise: $30 per month, per user: Includes all the features of Gemini Business, plus additional features for AI-powered meetings, translated captions in 15+ languages, and advanced enterprise data protection.
Users can also access separate AI add-ons for Google Workspace, such as Google’s AI Security package and AI Meetings and Messaging, currently a Gemini Alpha feature.
How to Use Gemini for Google Workspace
Just like the previous Duet AI solution, Gemini for Google Workspace gives users a conversational bot they can interact with in a range of Google apps to boost creativity and collaboration. Once you have the right plan, there are a few ways you can use Gemini to enhance workplace productivity.
Access Gemini Online with Seamless Workflow Integration
The easiest way to start experimenting with Gemini as part of your Workspace experience is to visit the Gemini site (Gemini.google.com), and start chatting with the app. Here, you can brainstorm ideas, discover new perspectives, ask questions, and even create code, images, and text with AI support.
The Gemini site includes enterprise-grade data protection, and is available in more than 35 languages currently. Google has even created a selection of sample prompts to help users get started. Plus, the web-based app seamlessly integrates with your Google Workspace apps, allowing you to bring insights and creations from the tool into your workflows.
Notably, for the most advanced feature, including Gemini 1.5 Pro, with a 1 million context window, the ability to upload Google Docs, PDFs, and Spreadsheets, and priority access to new features, you’ll need a Gemini Advanced subscription. Or you can simply use the add-ons mentioned above.
Use Gemini in the Side Panel of Workspace Apps
If you want a more “integrated” experience when using Gemini for Google Workspace, you can now access the bot in a side panel within your Workspace apps. Google announced the new side panel solution featuring Gemini 1.5 Pro at Google I/O this year.
With Gemini already built into your apps, you can avoid switching between tabs when you want to ask the bot questions and generate content. Plus, the side panel will even automatically display summaries and suggested prompts in this panel while you work.
Thanks to the expanded context window of Gemini 1.5 Pro, Gemini for Google Workspace can also now reference and use larger data sets. Plus, you can draw information from your other Workspace apps (like Gmail), into your Docs, Sheets, and other assets using Gemini.
Currently, this functionality is available for both Workspace Labs, as well as Gemini for Workspace Alpha Users. It will also be available on desktop solutions through the Gemini Workspace add-ons mentioned above, and the Google One AI Premium plan.
Ways to Use Gemini AI for Google Workspace
The ways you can use Gemini AI for Google Workspace are similar to how you can leverage Microsoft Copilot in Microsoft 365 applications. However, like Microsoft, Google is constantly updating the functionality of its AI assistant with new features and capabilities.
Notably, Google also allows admins to maintain control over how users access AI, with “AI classification” for sensitive data. After users train a model, it will automatically apply sensitivity labels to files (new and existing) in Google Drive.
Here’s what you can use Gemini AI for now and the features coming to the Workspace AI system in the months ahead.
Create and Enhance Content (Help Me Write)
In Google Docs and Gmail, users can access Gemini for Google Workspace to help them read, write, and refine emails and business documents. In Google Docs, you can ask Gemini to draft blog posts, articles, project plans, and more. The AI app can also proofread your grammar and spelling and give you suggestions on how to improve the style of your content.
In Gmail, the “Help Me Write” feature will allow you to create emails based on product announcements, marketing campaigns and more in seconds. At I/O 2024, Google announced that Help Me Write will now support additional languages (Spanish and Portuguese). Additionally, they announced a range of new features for Gemini for Workspace in the Gmail mobile app.
For instance, from your mobile, you can now use Gemini to:
- Summarize emails: Tap the “summarize” button on the Gmail app at the top of your email thread, and Gemini will extract all the highlights from your conversations. This will give you a quick rundown of key topics and important action items.
- Reply to messages faster: Gemini for Gmail can deliver nuanced and detailed suggested replies for messages, based on the context in your email thread. You can use the “contextual smart reply” button to create a message instantly, packed with personalized information. This feature will be rolling out for Workspace Labs users for web and mobile in July 2024.
- Q&A: Starting from July, when you click the Gemini icon in the mobile app, you’ll be able to create Q&A sessions. You can ask the app to suggest discussion questions for an upcoming meeting and event, based on the context from your emails.
Design and Organize Content (Help me Design and Help me Organize)
Currently, the Gemini for Google Workspace features in the “Slides” app are still relatively limited. However, you can ask Gemini to create a custom image for you with natural language prompts. The app will create a range of options you can add instantly to your slides.
Later in the year, Google plans to add options for automatically generated images, video, and audio to presentations in Slides. In Google Sheets, users can use Gemini, similar to Duet, to organize and process spreadsheet data. With the “Help me organize” feature, users can share a prompt with Gemini telling it what they want to organize.
The system will then suggest custom tables with placeholder data you can add into your spreadsheet. Gemini can also automatically detect incomplete column pairs, predict remaining values, and finish filling out columns based on existing data, with “Smart Fill”.
Optimize Meetings with Gemini in Google Meet
In Google Meet, you can use Gemini to enhance your collaborative sessions. Gemini can create custom background images for video conferences, and enhance the quality of your video too.
Studio look turns low-quality images into studio-quality visuals by fixing issues caused by poor lighting and low-quality webcams. Studio lighting in your video feed will also automatically adjust your lighting, while Studio sound improves the audio quality in conversations.
Google also offers access to “Translate for Me” in Google Meet, which offers real-time translated captions in more than 60 languages, powered by automatic language detection. Going forward, Google will add more features for capturing notes in Google Meet. Plus, users will be able to access AI-generated workflows based on conversations in Google Chat.
Augmenting your Workforce with Google AI Teammate
As mentioned above, the features of Gemini for Google Workspace are constantly evolving. One particularly exciting “upcoming” feature introduced by Google at I/O 2024 is “AI Teammate”. Similar to Microsoft’s recently announced, “Team Copilot”, AI Teammate essentially gives you an AI bot within Workspace that acts like another team member.
Google showcased this feature at its event with a teammate it created called “Chip.” The AI Teammate can be assigned to a specific role within a Team and has its own Workspace account. It can then sit in group chats and gather information to respond rapidly to questions.
Over time, as you add the AI teammate to more group chats and files, it can build a deeper understanding of your workspace and even flag potential issues. Plus, users will be able to configure the teammate to carry out certain tasks. For instance, you can ask it to analyze data and pinpoint trends, provide context on topics, and monitor and track projects.
It can even tell team members based on messages in Google Chat and Gmail if projects have been approved or if issues are arising with a workflow.
Enhancing Productivity with Gemini for Google Workspace
On a broad scale, Gemini for Google Workspace is simply the next step in Google’s long-term plan to implement AI assistants into the apps and tools teams already use. Most of the features are similar to what users could get with Duet AI, the previous generative AI assistant.
However, the evolution of Gemini as Google’s foundational LLM means that Gemini for Workspace is likely to transform much faster. Already, Google has shown plenty of examples of how the AI assistant will be able to help with multimodal generative AI tasks and support staff in the flow of work through multiple applications.
Plus, when Google rolls out its new AI Teammate solution, companies will have even more ways to bridge the gap between human and AI collaboration.
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