With the rise in people using AI to make processes faster, or to ask for dating pickup lines in the case of my friends using ChatGPT, it’s no wonder Google has decided to integrate the popular technology into the applications its users access every day. On Tuesday, March 14th Johanna Voolich Wright, Google’s Vice President of Product and Google Space, announced in a blog post that the company will be testing “AI-powered writing features in Docs and Gmail.” Although some AI features are already used in both applications, such as Smart Compose and Reply in Gmail, the new features will make “…Workspace even more helpful.”
One of the features being tested is a way to have Google write a first draft for you. For instance, in Docs, all you’ll need to do is type in a topic in the pop-up box titled “Help me write”, and boom, a draft will be instantly generated. In the GIF provided by Google in the blog post, a person uses generative AI to write up a sales representative job description, which, I must admit, is pretty cool!
Another feature being tested is the ability to use generative AI to help you rewrite. Specifically, this new component will help you change the tone of your writing or transform your jumbled ideas into bullet points. When composing an email or a document, you’ll be able to use the “Help me write” box to choose “Formalize”, “Elaborate”, “Shorten”, “Bulletize” and “Write a draft”. Additionally, you’ll have the option to choose a fun feature called “I’m Feeling Lucky”, which will have AI “…try out a new playful voice [for you] altogether.”
Aimed to help make writing easier and not to replace human writers themselves, Google claims to be designing these new features with the company’s 7 AI Principles in mind. To that end, users will still have control and will be able to accept, edit, and change the AI drafts.
The company will also be supplying the corresponding administrative controls to IT departments at organizations that choose to use the new features so that they may set specific policies for their organizations. No specific date was given as to when these new features will be available to the public.
Khristina has a BA in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Sociology. This May, she’ll be graduating with her MBA focused on the outdoor industry. She has written poems, articles, research papers, and even a couple of screenplays. She enjoys writing and researching many different topics. When she isn’t writing, you can find her rock climbing or laying outside, soaking up the California sun.
