Google updates Workspace to make AI the new office intern

At Google Cloud Next this week, the tech giant announced new updates to Workspace, its subscription-based productivity suite aimed at professionals. As you might expect, the update focuses on AI and integrates new automation tools into every workflow, from drafting emails to organizing Google Sheets. Overall, these changes are clearly designed to help workers be less busy.

Here’s what’s new:

Workplace Intelligence. Workspace Intelligence, a new AI system built into the Google Office suite, is designed to automate support for a variety of tasks. The system uses your Workspace data, including Gmail, Calendar, Chat, and Drive (Documents, Presentations, and Spreadsheets). Google has given users administrative control over what their AI systems can see and access. Users can disable Workspace Intelligence’s access to specific data sources at any time. Cons: The more data a system can access, the more it can help in that specific area.

Create and fill out Google Spreadsheets with Gemini.. A host of new features will allow users to create and author Google Sheets, the company’s spreadsheet tool. Users can configure the seat by asking Gemini to configure the seat. Prompts can include tasks such as formatting and data retrieval, allowing Google’s AI systems to perform many tasks that previously had to be performed by humans. At the same time, Gemini also supports data entry by automatically populating sheets with “prompt-based” filling. Google claims the new feature will allow users to fill out spreadsheets “nine times faster” than manual entry, as the system is designed to infer what the user will type. Another new spreadsheet feature lets you convert unstructured data into organized tables.

AI writing skills. Google has also introduced new AI authoring tools in Google Docs. Now users can use Gemini to “create, write, and improve” documents. The feature is powered by the company’s Workspace Intelligence system, which leverages data from users’ Drive, chat, Gmail archives, and the Internet to support editing tasks. All users have to do is ask Gemini to help them write or edit a document. Users can ask Gemini to “help me write” or to “tune in” their writing style, effectively imitating their voice.

Realizing that corporate customers are where the money is, technology companies are competing to deploy the most convenient and efficient office tools – applications that can make the average employee’s life somewhat easier. Google has a clear advantage. Its office products are already deeply embedded in workplaces around the world, providing a primary audience for these AI upgrades. But Microsoft, Apple, and the growing startup sector are all competing for the same turf.