Google reveals a host of AI updates, including ‘instant polish’ to turn messy notes into clear emails

Google has released a host new AI-powered, work-focused features intended to make people more productive.

The new tools were introduced at Google’s “Cloud Next” event and are coming to Google Workspace, the company’s suite of professional tools. That includes Google Docs and Sheets, as well as the work version of Gmail.

The new tools include an “instant polish” tool aimed at reducing the effort of sending emails. People can simply write messy notes into a draft and have artificial intelligence sort it into a properly written message, the company said.

It showed an example in which a person had half-written an email that included mistaken linebreaks and abbreviations. The system then tidied up those words, expanded the abbreviation, and added the usual formalities of an email such as sign-off and greeting.

Google had previously revealed a feature called Help me write on Gmail, where users can prompt an AI to write their email. Users can simply ask for a message inviting a person for a coffee and have the system write that out on their behalf, for instance.

Those tools are part of “Gemini in Gmail”, which brings its AI system to the email client. They will be available for subscribers to the business versions of Gemini, as well as those who are part of the “Google One AI Premium” suite, which gives privileged access to Gmail’s tools.

Other new features include a “Vids” app that will arrive in June. That will make a storyboard that can then be quickly edited into a video, including stock videos and a voice over, intended to make it easier to quickly create videos for work.

Google also revealed new AI security tools, automatic transcription for more languages in Google Meet, and automated ways of arranging information in Sheets and Docs.