Google introduced a variety of AI features for its Workspace suite of apps in March, aiming to catch up with Microsoft's rapid integration of similar tools. At the recent Google I/O event, the company unveiled a new brand name for these advancements: Duet AI. However, the features themselves are not yet widely accessible to the general public. Additionally, Google provided a sneak peek of an upcoming feature called "Sidekick," which can read, summarise, and answer questions on documents spanning different Google apps.

Duet AI encompasses a range of generative AI tools tailored for Google's productivity apps. As previously mentioned, this includes writing assistance in Docs and Gmail, image generation in Slides, automatic meeting summaries in Meet, and more. The significant update announced at Google I/O was the expansion of writing assistance to Gmail on mobile, where it will be presented as "Help me write" — an enhanced version of Smart Compose. To gain access to these new tools, interested users are required to sign up for Workspace Labs and join a waitlist.

There are both positive and negative aspects regarding the waitlist for Google's AI features. The positive news is that the waitlist, which was previously limited, is now open to anyone who wishes to join. However, the negative aspect is that the timeline for access remains uncertain. Google has mentioned that it will be expanding the availability of these services to more users and countries in the upcoming weeks. While specific dates were not provided, The Verge has obtained estimated timelines for the availability of these features:

Write in Gmail: now available on your phone in addition to the web. Available from the 10th of May.
Gmail contextual responses: being rolled out to Workspace Labs by the end of the month.
Generating images from text within Google Slides: rolling out to Workspace Labs next month.
Organise complex projects in Google Sheets: rolling out to Workspace Labs next month.
Intelligent Classification in Google Sheets: rolling out to Workspace Labs in the coming months.
Custom backgrounds on Google Meet: rolling out to Workspace Labs in the coming months.
AI building blocks in Docs: being rolled out to Workspace Labs by the end of the month.
Proofreading in Docs: rolling out in preview to Workplace commercial users in the coming months.

Google's AI Writing assistant is available in Docs if you're signed up to Workspace Labs. Image: Google

As previously mentioned, the notable announcement is the introduction of the "Help me write" AI assistant on Gmail's mobile application, which presents an intriguing opportunity. It is worth noting that Microsoft released a comparable feature in April by integrating Bing into its SwiftKey keyboard app for iOS and Android. During a roundtable briefing with journalists before the I/O event, Aparna Pappu, the Vice President of Workspace, highlighted that this AI assistant could be particularly valuable on a platform where users lack access to a complete keyboard. Saying;

“As you can imagine, mobile creates a whole bunch of constraints. Sometimes you’re online, sometimes you’re offline. You don’t want to fat finger things,” said Pappu. “And so we expect people to use far shorter prompts when asking AI to help them write mobile, and we’ve had to tune our experience there to create the best possible output with the least possible input.”

However, it also necessitates a more prompt and interactive AI partner to deliver an enhanced user experience.

A delightful surprise on Gmail is the inclusion of an "I'm feeling lucky" button, which utilizes AI to generate responses. Aparna Pappu mentions that occasionally it might craft a haiku for you, while other times it may compose your reply in a pirate's voice. It's undoubtedly whimsical, but when it comes to usefulness, one might find it less practical and more of a playful feature.

Google made additional promises during the event. One notable feature is Sidekick, a Workspace/Duet integration that Aparna Pappu described as "the future of collaboration with AI." However, Google did not provide a specific release date for this feature.

Sidekick appears as a side panel and possesses the ability to analyse the document you're currently viewing. Google claims that it can not only answer queries about the content but also provide suggestions. For instance, if you're working on a story, Sidekick may suggest generating images to illustrate it. In another example, if you're composing an email about an upcoming potluck, Sidekick can analyse the email chain and linked documents, such as a list of dishes being served, and offer suggestions for suitable accompaniments.

While Sidekick showcases the interlinking of existing capabilities, it does not represent a significant leap forward in terms of Google's promises. It appears that we'll have to wait a bit longer for the anticipated future advancements.

With Google's recent announcements at Google I/O of these new features, it has the potential to fundamentally transform the way we approach tasks, opening new avenues for productivity and sparking fresh waves of creativity.

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