September 2023 - Descasio

For nearly 25 years, Google has built helpful products that people use every day — from Search and Maps to Gmail and Docs in Google Workspace. AI has been transformational in building products that have earned a valued place in people’s lives. Across our productivity suite, advances in AI are already helping 3 billion users save more time with Smart Compose and Smart Reply, generate summaries for Docs, look more professional in meetings, and stay safe against malware and phishing attacks.

We’re now making it possible for Workspace users to harness the power of generative AI to create, connect, and collaborate like never before. To start, we’re introducing the first set of AI-powered writing features in Docs and Gmail to trusted testers.

As the world’s most popular and secure cloud-native communication and collaboration suite, getting this right — and at scale — is something we take very seriously. We know from our deep experience in AI and productivity that building features with AI requires great care, thoughtful experimentation, and many iterations driven by user feedback. We do all this while building safeguards against abuse, protecting the privacy of user data, and respecting customer control for data governance.

Making Workspace even more helpful

Workspace’s mission is to meaningfully connect people so they can create, build and grow together — and advances in generative AI are allowing us to deliver on this mission in new ways. Today, we’re sharing our broader vision for how Workspace is evolving to incorporate AI as a collaborative partner that is always there to help you achieve your goals, across Gmail, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Meet, and Chat.

https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-cloudblog-publish/images/GWS_Announcement_thumbnail.max-1300x1300.jpg

As we embark on this next journey, we will be bringing these new generative AI experiences to trusted testers on a rolling basis throughout the year, before making them available publicly.

With these features, you’ll be able to:

draft, reply, summarize, and prioritize your Gmail
brainstorm, proofread, write, and rewrite in Docs
bring your creative vision to life with auto-generated images, audio, and video in Slides
go from raw data to insights and analysis via auto-completion, formula generation, and contextual categorization in Sheets
generate new backgrounds and capture notes in Meet
enable workflows for getting things done in Chat

Here’s a look at the first set of AI-powered features, which make writing even easier.

Starting with Docs and Gmail

Blank pages can stump the best of us. That’s why we’re embedding generative AI in Docs and Gmail to help people get started writing. Whether you’re a busy HR professional who needs to create customized job descriptions, or a parent drafting the invitation for your child’s pirate-themed birthday party, Workspace saves you the time and effort of writing that first version. Simply type a topic you’d like to write about, and a draft will instantly be generated for you. With your collaborative AI partner, you can continue to refine and edit, getting more suggestions as needed.

https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-cloudblog-publish/original_images/Docs_Web_030823.gif

Generative AI in Docs helps to write a job description.

Finding the right tone and style can also be tricky at times. Perhaps you’re applying for a new job, or writing to a new supplier in a more traditional industry, and you need to adopt a more formal tone in your email. Or you’ve jotted down a few bullets on your phone from a recent meeting and want to transform them into a more polished summary to share with your team. For these common scenarios and many more, we’re adding new generative AI capabilities to help you rewrite. And if you’re in the mood to let AI try out a new playful voice altogether, you’ll be able to hit the “I’m feeling lucky” option in Gmail.

https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-cloudblog-publish/original_images/Gmail_Mobile_16x9_030823.gif

Generative AI in Gmail formalizing notes into a polished email.

Keeping users in control

As we’ve experimented with generative AI ourselves, one thing is clear: AI is no replacement for the ingenuity, creativity, and smarts of real people. Sometimes the AI gets things wrong, sometimes it delights you with something offbeat, and oftentimes it requires guidance. With all this in mind, we’re designing our products by Google’s AI Principles that keep the user in control, letting AI make suggestions that you’re able to accept, edit, and change. We’ll also deliver the corresponding administrative controls so that IT can set the right policies for their organization.

The best is yet to come

AI-based capabilities get better with human feedback. We’ll launch these new experiences this month via our trusted tester program, starting with English in the United States. From there, we’ll iterate and refine the experiences before making them available more broadly to consumers, small businesses, enterprises, and educational institutions in more countries and languages. When it comes to delivering the full potential of generative AI across Workspace, we’re just getting started. In the same way that we revolutionized real-time collaboration with co-authoring in Docs 17 years ago, we’re excited to transform creation and collaboration all over again in Workspace.

If your organization is not yet on Workspace, we invite you to get started today at no cost and join us in this new era of AI.

By 2030, ten powerful converging technologies will entirely transform the way businesses work and engage with their customers. Here’s what you need to know:

Artificial Intelligence

Software algorithms that automate complex decision-making tasks to mimic human thought processes and senses. AI will exponentially speed up every aspect of human and machine interaction.

What is Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence is the combination of algorithms used to create intelligent machines. It is said that the next great leap in technology will not be systems that run faster and more efficiently, but rather a platform capable of anticipating our every need which is the foundation successful businesses are built upon.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality or AR as it’s fondly called is a visual or audio “overlay” on the physical world that uses contextualized digital information to augment the user’s real-world view.

It will be used to inform and amplify your interaction with all aspects of your everyday life, work and travel. Companies like Apple have already positioned themselves for the future with the design of the Apple Glass. The purpose of the Glass is to bring all of the information from your phone directly to your face.

AR will turn your gaze on almost anything in your surroundings, squint thoughtfully, and immediately view informational content about the object or activity of focus. Imagine the power it will give any businesses that adopt this technology now.

Virtual Reality

VR is an interface in which viewers can use special equipment to interact with a three-dimensional computer-generated simulation in realistic ways. Unlike AR which adds digital elements to a live view often by using the camera on a smartphone, VR is a complete immersion experience that shuts out the physical world.

The adoption of VR is poised to bring transformation to businesses that operate in the sphere of education, entertainment, medicine and more.

3D Printing

3D Printing is a machine that creates three-dimensional objects based on digital models by layering or “printing” successive layers of materials. It is used to fabricate bespoke ‘everything’ from homes and automobile parts to the replacement of human bio-tissues.

3D printing tech has brought massive innovation to the world. The technology has its imprint on virtually all industries. it is a sure-fire for any business to last the mile.

Internet of Things

IoT, as it is often called, is a network of physical objects embedded with sensors, software, network connectivity and computing capability, and can collect, exchange and act on data.

The Internet of Things has already started to revolutionize our homes and workplaces with smart speakers, lights and heating thereby minimising and simplifying everyday decision-making.

Robotics

Robotics is the use of machines with enhanced sensing, control and intelligence to automate, augment or assist human activities. Robotics tech is already in use in different industries like healthcare, education, manufacturing and research institutions.

Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing is a new generation of technology of advanced computers 158 million times faster than the most sophisticated supercomputer. It will comfortably do in 4 minutes what it would take a traditional supercomputer 10,000 years to accomplish.

This technology holds the potential to transform medicine, create unbreakable encryption and even teleport information. Any business with the ability to integrate Quantum Computer will easily dominate its industry for years to come.

Gene Editing

Gene Editing is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism’s DNA by allowing genetic material to be added, removed or altered at particular locations in the genome. This technology possesses the capability to extend the human life span and improve health and quality of life.

Already, scientists are making precise edits to DNA strands, leading to treatments for genetic diseases. This is a game-changer for the healthcare industry.

The use of Gene Editing tech could potentially push any company to the pinnacle of domination.

Materials Science

Material Science is the discovery and development of new materials accelerated by the Materials Genome Initiative. It allows scientists to create new elements and better products, transforming many aspects of everyday life.

Blockchain Technology

You are already familiar with Blockchain Technology based on previous articles we’ve written on it. But in case you need a rehash, Blockchain Technology is a distributed digital ledger that uses software algorithms to record and confirm transactions with reliability and anonymity.

The technology creates the infrastructure for web3 and transforms the internet — returning power and ownership to individuals.

READ: 21 Digital Tools To Use For Your Business In 2022.

Already, Blockchain Technology is disrupting the financial industries as more people are adopting the use of the technology – based on its most singular significant feature of decentralisation – to perform payment transactions with ease.

Any payment platform that wishes to stay relevant should start thinking of ways to integrate the use of Blockchain Technology.

Conclusion

That’s it! These are the 10 Most Powerful Business Technologies you need to start adopting right now as a business owner if you don’t want your business to be swept away by the rising current of innovations out there.

A new era for AI and Google Workspace