Google Workspace gets automation flows, podcast-style summaries

Google is upgrading Workspace, its suite of cloud-based productivity tools, with new AI capabilities. The suite is gaining Workspace Flows, a tool designed to automate multi-step processes such as updating spreadsheets and digging through documents for information. Flows can tap Gems, Google’s brand of custom AI-powered chatbots, to handle specialized tasks, and it can also integrate with apps like Google Drive to retrieve data. “Simply describe what you need in plain language, and Workspace Flows will design and build sophisticated, logic-driven flows,” Yulie Kwon Kim, VP of product for Google Workspace, wrote in a blog post provided to TechCrunch. “We’re also working with partners to connect Workspace Flows to other third-party tools you rely on, enabling it to support workflows beyond Workspace.” The enhancements come as Google looks to make Workspace, which competes with platforms such as Microsoft 365, an AI-first experience. The search giant first began adding generative AI fu ... Read full article.