Gmail and Google Workspace get the AI treatment at Google I/O

Alexandra Garfinkle

Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) unveiled new AI-centered features tied to Gmail and Workspace as its annual developers conference, Google I/O.

CEO Sundar Pichai kicked off the show emphasizing AI as the show's lead theme. For Gmail, the company is introducing a new feature called "Help Me Write," which serves as a more advanced version of Smart Compose.

"Let's say you got this email that your flight was canceled," Pichai told the audience. "The airline has sent a voucher, but what you really want is a full refund. You could reply and use 'Help Me Write.' Just type in the prompt of what you want, an email to ask for a full refund, hit 'create' and a full draft appears."

Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on-stage during the Google I/O keynote session at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, on May 10, 2023. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaks on-stage during the Google I/O keynote session at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, on May 10, 2023. (Photo by Josh Edelson / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images) (JOSH EDELSON via Getty Images)

So, it was all AI, all the time at Google I/O, including for one of the company's most visible products outside Search, Google Workspace – a suite of productivity products that includes apps like Google Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Meet, and Google Drive.

According to Google, the suite will now feature Duet AI, a generative AI-based feature that helps users write, pull information from existing documents, and more.

For example, Google Slides will now have a feature that helps create speaker notes out of an existing slide show. Similarly, Google Sheets will have a "Help Me Organize" feature in which users can describe what they want to do, and then the feature will generate a plan to accomplish that goal.

Pappu speaking at Google I/O, May 10, 2023.
Pappu speaking at Google I/O, May 10, 2023.

Google Workspace General Manager Aparna Pappu explained what this process might look like on stage at Google I/O.

"Imagine you run a dog-walking business and need to keep track of things like your clients' logistics about their dogs, like what time they need to be walked, how long, etc.," she said. "Sheets can help you get organized. Simply type something like 'client and pet roster for a dog-walking business with rates' and hit 'create.'"

Allie Garfinkle is a Senior Tech Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @agarfinks and on LinkedIn.

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