Google has launched Duet AI for Google Workspace, a generative AI productivity tool.
Revealed alongside a raft of other AI announcements at Google I/O on Wednesday, including the rollout of generative AI for its core search engine, Duet AI is described as a “generative AI-powered collaborator” by Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian in a blog post accompanying the solution’s reveal.
Kurian said:
Today, we are excited to announce Duet AI for Google Workspace, which brings together our powerful generative AI features and lets users collaborate with AI so they can get more done every day.”
Duet AI is partly a rebranding of generative AI tools for Docs and Gmail launched in early access in March. The original AI features enable users to draft, summarise, and reply to emails in Gmail, write and proofread in Docs, auto-generate media in Slides, produce automated insights, analysis and custom tables in Sheets, create custom backgrounds and meeting summaries notes in Meet, and enable workflows in Chat.
However, the launch of Duet AI includes new features across the Workspace suite, the most significant of which is full integration across all Workspace apps.
Another is the addition of generative AI for Gmail on mobile, titled “help me write”. At the same time, AI will draft potential messages and factor in the context of the existing email thread.
Google is integrating smart canvas capabilities, including smart chips, into Docs’ new assisted writing experience.
Google also mentioned a future feature named “Sidekick”, which can read, summarize, and answer questions across various Google apps. Google Workspace VP Aparna Pappu described Sidekick as “the future of collaboration as AI” at Google I/O. One example at the show involved a user writing an email about a potluck with friends and family. Sidekick analyzes the language of the email chain and the linked content and can suggest a good accompaniment, such as a different food.
To access these tools in preview, users must sign up to Workspace Labs and join the waiting list.
AI — The Theme of the Day
Google also launched Search Generative Experience, a generative AI for its core search engine, which Google said can produce responses to open-ended questions.
Google said it was removing the waitlist for Bard AI, Google’s answer to ChatGPT. Bard will also be able to respond to images and text prompts, and the offering will be rolled out in English in 180 countries and territories.
Duet AI for Google Cloud was also announced and pitched as a collaboration tool for developers and cloud users. “Duet AI serves as your expert pair programmer and assists cloud users with contextual code completion, offering suggestions tuned to your code base, generating entire functions in real-time, and assisting you with code reviews and inspection,” Kurian wrote. “It can fundamentally transform the way cloud users of all skill sets build new experiences and is embedded across Google Cloud interface.”
AI — The Theme of the Year
Duet AI inevitably attracts comparisons with Microsoft Copilot as an AI-powered productivity feature. Microsoft launched Copilot in March before announcing updates that the service would also be available in Viva to improve employee engagement and performance with artificial intelligence and insights. Earlier this month, Microsoft introduced Copilot to SharePoint.
Microsoft had also announced it had upgraded its Bing search engine and Edge browser by launching an AI-powered experience with ChatGPT features. Last month, Microsoft and Siemens announced a Teams-integrated app, Teamcenter, powered by generative AI to enhance productivity and innovation for industrial businesses.
To describe AI as a running theme for 2023 would be an understatement, with many vendors beyond Google and Microsoft making AI-centric announcements too.
This year’s Enterprise Connect featured several AI-related announcements, including RingCentral’s RingSense launch, a generative AI platform to help businesses transform conversation data into critical insights.
Zoom revealed generative AI features while at Enterprise Connect, including features to help users compose emails, meeting summaries and chat messages in collaboration with ChatGPT creator OpenAI.
