Google is deepening its push into generative artificial intelligence, introducing features on Tuesday that will let users create text in Gmail and Docs using the company’s AI technology.
The company is testing AI products and making them accessible to a limited number of users across workspaces, including Gmail and Google’s productivity tools.
“Whether you’re a busy HR professional who needs to create a customized job description, or a parent drafting invitations for your child’s pirate-themed birthday party, Workspace lets you create that first edition Saves writing time and effort,” wrote Johanna Vulich Wright, vice president of product for Google Workspace, in a blog post. “Just type in a topic you want to write about, and a draft will be generated for you instantly.”
Generative AI has been the hottest topic in tech this year after San Francisco startup OpenAI introduced the ChatGPT chatbot in November and watched it quickly go viral. ChatGPT lets users ask a question or make a request and respond with answers that are surprisingly sophisticated and creative. Top technology companies are now racing to work similar capabilities into their own products.
With Google’s test, a user can go into a text box in the email and type “draft an email to the team”. The application will generate a three-paragraph thank-you note that the user can edit, expand, or turn into a bulleted list. The user can also tell the program to try again.
Google boasts of over 3 billion users of Workspace. This includes consumers and companies who pay for subscriptions.
Google’s top competitor in the market is Microsoft 365, the productivity bundle that until October 2022 was called Office 365. Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, will discuss AI and productivity software on Thursday at an online event hosted on LinkedIn.
A Google spokesperson told CNBC that the company is rolling out early access to the new features to consumers as well as some business and education users. The company did not say when it would release the capabilities more widely, nor whether the additional features would be included in existing packages or would cost extra.
Google said later this year it plans to bring additional AI features to Workspace, including formula generation in Sheets, automatically generated images in Slides and note-taking in Meet.
The company recently issued a “code red” alert for employees to respond to ChatGPT. Last month, Google said it would add AI features to its flagship Internet search engine. Separately on Tuesday, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian said the company has begun testing a service for building corporate chatbots. Cloud business includes verticals.
“We are very excited by the potential of generative AI and the opportunities it presents,” Kurian wrote. Kurian said the technology will help people express themselves, enable developers with new applications and “how businesses ….
