Google began rolling out Gmail Live, an artificial intelligence feature that allows users to find information in emails through voice-based questions. The tool searches for answers in the inbox without requiring the user to go through lengthy conversations.
The company is also launching new features for Docs and Keep, with tools that help create documents and turn dictated ideas into organized notes. Availability varies depending on the subscription plan.
Gmail Live, Docs Live, and Keep Live are Google’s new artificial intelligence-powered voice tools. – Image: Courtesy/Google
Gmail Live makes information easier to find
Instead of typing keywords and opening multiple messages, users can ask Gmail Live directly what they want to know. The tool works similarly to voice conversations with Gemini, but has been adapted to search for information in the inbox.
Google cites questions such as “What is my flight’s boarding gate?” and “What is happening at my child’s school this week?” as examples of its use.According to the company, the feature examines emails and quickly provides answers.
Announced at last month’s Google I/O, Gmail Live exited beta and began rolling out this week.
Docs and Keep also gain voice features
In Docs Live, the user describes the document they want to create, and the artificial intelligence prepares an initial draft. To do this, the tool can search for information in Gmail, Drive, Chat, and on the web. It also helps adjust the tone of the text.
Keep Live, in turn, turns dictated ideas into organized notes. In an example released by Google, a person recounts having promised to paint their son’s bedroom over the weekend and needing materials and instructions to complete the task. The tool prepares a shopping list and a guide with the steps involved.
Google summarizes the Keep Live proposition as a way to “capture, structure, and refine your ideas into organized, practical notes.”
The features address different needs:
- Search: retrieve specific information from old messages with Gmail Live.
- Writing: gather references from different sources to prepare documents in Docs Live.
- Planning: convert spoken ideas into lists of materials and instructions with Keep Live.
Google plans to bring the three AI tools to Workspace business customers but has not yet announced a date. – Image: Jess Rodriguez / ShutterstockWhich subscribers will have access?
Gmail Live and Keep Live are being rolled out to subscribers of the Google AI Plus, Pro, and Ultra plans. Docs Live, meanwhile, is restricted to the Pro and Ultra plans.
The three tools will also become available to Google Workspace business customers. However, the company has not yet announced a date for this expansion.
With the launches, Google now offers voice commands for various everyday tasks, from searching for information in emails to drafting documents and planning activities.
Valdir Antonelli is a journalist specializing in digital marketing and consumer trends.
