Google adds voice AI to Gmail and Docs

Gemini Live’s new conversational features for Gmail, Docs, and Keep are already rolling out to eligible subscribers of Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra plans. Furthermore, they should arrive soon for business customers using Google’s Workspace productivity suite.

Gmail Live allows subscribers to ask for specific information using natural language. They can ask about upcoming meetings or details regarding their children’s school events, and the app attempts to retrieve the relevant details for the conversation.

Docs Live functions as a “co-writer” for new document projects. It helps users lay out a first draft based on rough thoughts and ideas. The tool can also extract relevant details from other Workspace apps like Drive and Chat, provided the user grants the necessary permissions.

Keep Live is designed to take a stream of consciousness and turn it into something more organized. Users can “dump” their thoughts into the note-taking app and ask the AI to organize them into a list of actionable ideas. Google claims the model can understand everything being said.

Google is significantly expanding Gemini Live’s reach to Gmail, Docs, and Keep, at least for paying customers of the enterprise-focused Workspace service. The Alphabet company highlights how these new capabilities will enrich its customers’ day-to-day lives with a new option to use their apps and personal data, but not all users seem ecstatic about the idea of talking to a mail client on the phone.

These conversational features are based on the Gemini Audio AI models introduced earlier this year during the latest developer-focused I/O conference. By integrating these audio models into core productivity tools, Google places more conversational interfaces directly in front of daily users, continuing a trend where AI tools attempt to interact directly with Android applications.

Docs Live does not necessarily work on pre-existing data. The AI feature is designed to be a “co-writer” for new document projects, helping users lay out a first draft based on “rough” thoughts and ideas. Furthermore, Docs Live can also extract “relevant” details from other Workspace apps (Gmail, Drive, Chat, etc.) if the user grants specific permissions to do so.

While some people consider talking to a mobile app a rather natural way to interact with computers and personal devices, others see it differently. The rollout has already sparked a mix of reactions, with one user commenting that “chatting” with an email client on a phone is definitely not the most exciting activity available.