AI-powered writing is all the rage right now, and Google has been rushing to implement AI features across its apps and services. Gmail and Google Docs are the first to get new AI writing and rewriting features.
Thankfully, Google’s first AI features aren’t just a chatbot slapped on top of an existing app or service, but it does have some of the same functionality that Microsoft has been testing in Bing Chat and Edge. Google Docs will soon have a function to help you get started writing — for example, typing “Job post for a regional sales rep” will create a job description, with buttons to try another generation.
The company said in a blog post, “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.”
Google is also testing a rewrite function in Docs and Gmail, which can take snippets of your writing and rewrite it in one of several alternative tones. For example, you could convert your quick notes from a meeting into a more polished summary in one click. Google’s announcement includes options like formalize, elaborate, shorten, bulletize, and “I’m feeling lucky.”
Google says its AI suggestions can be easily accepted, edited, or changed before they are integrated into whatever you’re working on. The company will also “deliver the corresponding administrative controls so that IT is able to set the right policies for their organization.” That likely means companies and organizations will be able to turn off some (or all) AI features, so if you use Google Docs or Gmail at work or school, you might not be able to test the new features.
Source: Google Workspace Blog