Google Introduces Chat Feature for Gmail, Docs, and Keep

Google is introducing AI-driven voice assistant modes for Gmail, Docs, and Keep, enabling users to manage these applications through voice commands. These real-time conversational features, known as Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live, are designed to simplify the process of retrieving or recording information, especially when you’re on the go or unable to type.

Gmail Live focuses on extracting details from your inbox without the hassle of sifting through long email threads. For instance, you can ask, “When is my kid’s next school event?” and the voice assistant will locate that information from your emails and provide a summarized response, complete with links to the original messages in the on-screen transcript. You can also ask follow-up questions seamlessly or interrupt the assistant mid-sentence to change topics.

Docs Live assists in organizing your thoughts into structured documents based on your verbal descriptions. You might request it to summarize lengthy documents or convert them into business proposals. With the right permissions, it can also access information from your Gmail, Drive, Chat, and the web to tailor its responses more effectively. Meanwhile, Keep Live allows you to dictate notes naturally, with the assistant understanding context without needing specific phrasing, such as adding “ingredients for pesto” to your shopping list.

These features were initially showcased at Google I/O in May and are now being rolled out globally for mobile users in English. Gmail Live is available on iOS and Android for those on Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra plans, while Docs Live and Keep Live are set for AI Pro and Ultra plans. Keep Live is exclusive to Android, whereas Docs is accessible on both iOS and Android. All three features are expected to be available soon for Workspace business customers.