Google Workspace Unveils New AI Features, Including Video Creation App

Google is stepping up its game in the world of productivity tools by integrating new generative AI features into its Google Workspace suite, which includes Docs, Sheets, and Slides. These enhancements were announced at the Google Cloud Next event, aiming to boost collaboration among its vast professional user base. The star of the show? Google Vids, a brand-new app that revolutionizes video creation with the help of AI.

Google Vids isn't just another video editor; it's described by Google as an AI-powered assistant for video creation, writing, production, and editing. Imagine being able to create a video storyboard, weave together your first draft with scenes from stock videos, and even pick out the ideal voiceover—all with a bit of AI magic, as showcased in the video above.

"It's an entirely new app that can help anyone become a great storyteller at work," said Aparna Pappu, VP/GM of Google Workspace, in a recent blog post. Much like collaborating on a document in Google Docs, Google Vids enables teams to work together on videos through a user-friendly interface that also simplifies sharing your creations. You can expect Google Vids to hit Workspace Labs in June 2024.

New AI Add-Ons: Meetings, Messaging, and Security

Alongside Google Vids, Google unveiled two new AI add-ons: AI Meetings and Messaging, and AI Security. The AI Meetings and Messaging add-on boasts features like "Take notes for me," which is currently in preview and automates note-taking in Meet. Coming in June, "Translate for me" will automatically detect and translate captions in Meet. Additionally, later this year, Google Chat will benefit from automatic translations of messages and conversation summaries.

The AI Security add-on, available now, empowers IT teams to use generative AI to classify and safeguard sensitive files in Google Drive automatically. Both add-ons come at a cost of $10 per user per month.

Upcoming Features and Enhancements

Google is also teasing some exciting additions to Workspace. Voice prompting will soon allow users to use voice input in the "Help me write" feature, while Gmail's instant polish will transform your notes into a polished email format effortlessly, as seen on the right.

In the coming weeks, Google Sheets will introduce new table features, enabling users to organize data more efficiently by selecting from a new set of templates, rather than starting from scratch.

Google Docs isn't being left behind either. Soon, it will feature tabs to help organize information within the same document and a personalization option with full-bleed cover images that stretch across your browser.

Lastly, Google is expanding the capacity for Google Chat spaces to 500,000 members and is working on enabling messaging interoperability with Slack and Teams in the near future.

Accessing Gemini in Google Workspace

To dive into these new features with Gemini in Google Workspace, you'll need a Workspace account for your business. A 14-day Gemini trial is available, offering a chance to explore these innovations firsthand.

While these enhancements are currently exclusive to business accounts, they hint at what might soon be available to the general public. It's common for companies to roll out new features to enterprise users first, gathering feedback and gauging interest before a broader release.