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xAI's Grok chatbot can now be installed into Google Docs, Sheets and Slides as a side panel at no cost, unlike Google's own Gemini assistant, which requires a paid Workspace or Google AI subscription. Grok can also pull in research from X and, via connectors, access Gmail and Drive files, though it lacks Gemini's native integration across Gmail, Drive and Chat.
Google has told schools that administrators who want to disable Gemini AI features will also lose access to Google Search within its education accounts. The company frames the move as giving schools greater control over how AI appears in their systems, but the opt-out is bundled with search functionality rather than offered separately.
Google has updated its Vids video editor to let users generate a custom AI avatar from a single uploaded photo, rather than requiring the longer face-scanning and voice-recording process previously needed through Gemini's likeness tool. Users can access this by starting a new AI video project, selecting the Avatar option, and choosing 'Design a custom avatar' to upload an image, which the tool then processes and enhances. Those who use the photo-upload method must still pick from Google's existing preset voice options rather than cloning their own voice.
Google Vids, a browser-based video editing tool launched for business and enterprise Workspace users in 2024, became available to individual users in 2026. The free app lets users start projects from scratch, templates, slideshows, uploaded footage, or AI-generated content using the Veo 3.1 model, and continues to receive regular updates from Google.
Rohit Patel, who spent eight years at Meta and most recently served as a director at Meta Superintelligence Labs, has left the company to start Ndoc, an AI-native workspace meant to replace Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. The product combines presentation, analysis, and underlying data/code into three linked views called Stage, Narrative, and Model, letting users inspect and verify the scripts behind AI-generated documents.
Google has made Gemini Notebook, formerly known as NotebookLM, available as a Connected App within the Gemini chatbot. Users can type @Gemini Notebook or use natural prompts to create, edit, and manage notebooks, add or remove sources, and pull answers from notebook content without leaving the chat. The feature is rolling out to Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and personal Google account users.
Anthropic has released Claude for Google Workspace in public beta for all paid Claude plans, letting users access Claude from a sidebar inside Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The company also launched new connectors that let Claude create and edit Google files directly from within Claude itself, covering tasks like editing text, building spreadsheet formulas and charts, and generating slides matching a deck's theme.
Google has detailed Gemini Spark, an AI personal assistant first announced at its May I/O conference, that can take background 'proactive action' on tasks assigned by users. It works across Google Workspace apps including Docs, Calendar, Slides and Gmail, and draws on Personal Intelligence to tailor suggestions using data from a user's Google apps. Example uses cited include building an email style guide from past responses or setting up an internship tracker.
Google unveiled a new Gemini AI agent designed to operate seamlessly across multiple apps and devices within enterprise environments. Available through the Gemini Enterprise app, it enables users to assign tasks and communicate with the AI from platforms like Gmail, Drive, and third-party apps such as Slack and Microsoft 365, maintaining context across devices. Currently in private preview, the tool aims to streamline work processes by acting as a virtual coworker with specialized sub-agents for different tasks.
Nudge Security reports that employees create an average of 88 OAuth app grants each, with 31 granting access to sensitive data. These grants often persist long after they are no longer needed, posing security risks. Managing and reviewing these permissions manually is increasingly difficult for IT teams.
Anthropic has released a Google Workspace add-on that lets Claude directly edit files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides rather than requiring users to copy and paste text back and forth. The beta is available now for Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise subscribers, and includes connectors that let Claude create or edit Google files from within the chat interface itself. Users can choose between an 'Ask before edits' mode requiring approval or an 'Accept all edits' mode that lets Claude work unsupervised.
Nikkei revealed that unknown hackers accessed two employee email accounts, one of which was used to send thousands of phishing emails in September. The breaches involved a Google Workspace account in July and a Microsoft 365 account in September, prompting the company to change passwords and warn staff about ongoing threats. No customer or reader data was affected in these incidents, according to Nikkei.