At its annual developer conference, Google I/O, Google announced many exciting things. The company has announced several new ventures into AI for productivity, which are available for public preview. All these projects aim to make it easier for users to deal with repetitive tasks and focus more on creative ideas. Generative AI models can create new content, such as templates, images, and text, for you. Google also announced Project Tailwind, an AI notebook for students that helps them find sources and references based on their notes.
These new features will be available on Google’s products and services, including Google Search. If you enter a search query, Google will display a new AI snapshot that gives context about the content you seek, along with valuable links and images. This can also be used as an overview. Duet AI is another array of AI features that will be built into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet. A new Sidekick panel may appear in each of Google’s core products.
The company is also making its products more user-friendly by adding conversation modes. These conversation modes allow users to interact with Google and receive answers to their queries more naturally concerning the context. This can improve workspace apps. Search Generative Experience (SGE) brings the power of generative AI directly into Google Search and makes sense of information.
Google Search Lab and SGE
Search Labs will allow users to test new features on Google Search. SGE is an experience that uses artificial intelligence to generate more comprehensive and informative results. Google prioritizes the Google One Premium subscription service to Search Labs to test the upcoming Search Generative Experience (SGE). All the Google One Premium Plans received sign-ups for the Search Labs waitlist, but there is no guarantee of getting the Search Labs and SGE on Day 1, as access spots are limited.
There are three different Google One plans: Basic (100 GB for $1.99/month), Standard (200 GB for $2.99/month), and Premium (2 TB and higher for $9.99/month and up). With these plans, you can get a 10% discount on the Google Store and extra Google Workspace features.
Search Labs is where Google tests new features for its search engine. Google One Premium plan members will have priority access to Search Labs as soon as more spots become available. SGE is a new search experience that uses generative AI to generate more comprehensive and informative results. It will roll out in the coming weeks. Search Labs will give more detailed responses to your searches, with links to websites and sources used to formulate the responses.
Google Workspace
The company is ready to roll out the new generative AI feature more widely in Gmail and Docs. Users must sign up for Google Workspace Labs to use this feature. After signing up, you can use Generative-AI in your Gmail and Docs by tapping into Help Me Write (Labs), which appears next to the send and formatting options. After opening Help Me Write (Labs), it will open a blue/purple-ish prompt box at the bottom of the screen where you can write your text, and Google will generate a draft based on your prompt.
Google processes through suggestions and will give a draft that takes a few seconds for something to generate. Users who aren’t satisfied with the results can refine and edit the generative text based on their needs. This will improve productivity, making it easier to write emails and documents. Users can also ask Google to recreate, and while inserting, it will paste and let you make further edits. Google marks with brackets where you should delete and enter your name or other specifics.
This will help me write better emails and documents. It is also called a super version of Smart Reply and Smart Compose. The new feature allows you to ask for tone and format: Formalise: Make the draft more formal; Elaborate: Add details to build upon the text; Shorten: Shorten the draft; I’m Feeling Lucky: Update the draft with creative information. This feature is currently limited to desktop users on the web, not Android.
Following this, Google also announced Duet AI. These features are still in development, and Google plans to add more features to the generative AI suite in the future. Google is rapidly expanding the Trusted Tester Programme by 10x, but the Generative AI feature in Google Sheets and Slides has yet to be made live.
Sign up for Google Labs: The Latest Experiments from Google
To use this feature, users need to sign up, and for this, the company has made one place for all its experimental hubs called Google Labs. With this, users can opt for early access to practical AI features. All the features are not finalized, but they offer a glimpse into the future of AI. To sign up for Google Labs, users must have a Google account and be older than 18.
- Visit the Google AI Labs website (labs.withgoogle.com) on your phone or computer.
- Find the AI project you are interested in and hit enter to learn more or join the waitlist.
- Sign in when prompted with your Google Account, and then follow the instructions for each AI project.
- Alternatively, you can visit the updated Google Apps and tap the beaker icon at the top.
- Once accepted, users will receive an email or notification informing them and giving instructions on how to get started.
All these projects are under the waitlist system, with no promise as to whether or not you will be accepted. Google Labs is one of the great ways to stay up-to-date on the latest AI developments and help shape the future of AI. The company is also working on a new project that Google is working on, MusicLM, which can generate music.