Latest news with #Workspace
The Star
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Coming soon from Open AI: productivity tools to rival Office and Workspace
OpenAI is reportedly working on features to rival the likes of Microsoft's Office 365 and Google's Workspace. — Photography/AFP Relaxnews OpenAI is reportedly working on a productivity suite that would be directly integrated into ChatGPT. These tools would enable users to edit documents, communicate by chat and manage tasks, similar to what's offered by well-known software suites such as Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. The rumour originated from an article in The Information, which reports that OpenAI has quietly developed AI-powered productivity features capable of competing with the top software suites on the market. OpenAI is reportedly working on adding the ability to create and collaborate in real time on exportable documents directly within ChatGPT, with chat and direct connection to professional tools. According to The Information, OpenAI is already testing these tools with a small number of users. Although no such features have been announced yet, it is already possible to edit documents, text, code, or even tables, then download them in Word or PDF format using the Canvas feature integrated into ChatGPT, which is now available to all. To access it, simply select "Write or code' from the tools offered by ChatGPT (on a computer). You can then create and edit a document before downloading it, if necessary. In general, by placing artificial intelligence at the heart of creation and collaboration, OpenAI is focusing on a more fluid and intuitive experience than traditional tools. A complete suite of office and collaborative tools designed for businesses could be launched by the end of 2025 or early 2026. OpenAI, which already claims to have more than three million paying professional users, would thus position itself as a serious competitor to Microsoft and Google – despite the fact that these two giants have already integrated AI into their software suites. OpenAI is therefore continuing to expand its field of activity. In addition to its AI chatbot, OpenAI is reportedly working on a web browser with advanced and AI-powered features. Finally, the publisher recently acquired the startup io, founded by designer Jony Ive, with the aim of integrating AI into innovative and disruptive devices. – AFP Relaxnews
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gemini AI Explained: A Deep Dive Into Google's Multimodal Assistant
Generative AI has rapidly moved from science fiction to everyday utility, transforming the way we work, learn, and create. In this evolving landscape, Google's multimodal AI platform, Gemini, stands out as a highly capable AI system wrapped in a chatbot interface. Gemini is engineered to process text, images, audio, and code with an eye toward real-world problem-solving and deep integration across Google's ever-changing ecosystem. Gemini is built to support multimodal interaction, meaning it can interpret and generate not just text, but also images, audio, and code. More than a simple chatbot, Gemini operates as a foundational platform across Google's digital ecosystem. It's accessible on the web or through apps, browser extensions, and integration in Workspace tools like Gmail and Docs, where it can assist with summarization, drafting, analysis, and more. The big idea is flexibility: Gemini is designed to adapt to a wide range of user needs across personal, creative, and professional tasks. To get a sense of just what Gemini is striving toward, what it's "trying to be," Google's longer-term vision for Gemini points beyond one-off interactions. It's being positioned as a general-purpose AI interface—something that can function as a bridge between people and increasingly complex digital environments. In that light, Gemini represents not just an AI product, but a look at how Google imagines users will interact with technology in the years ahead. Credit: ExtremeTech/Gemini Gemini actually started out as a totally different and more limited Google AI, named Bard. Gemini's development began as such with its initial release in December 2023. The first version, Gemini 1.0, introduced Google's vision for a multimodal AI assistant—capable of processing not just text, but also images and audio. It marked a foundational shift from Bard, which was primarily text-based, to a more versatile platform built for a wider variety of uses. Most recently, in June 2025, Google launched Gemini 2.5 Pro and 2.5 Flash. These models introduced enhanced multimodal reasoning, native support for audio and video inputs, and a more refined 'thinking budget' system that allows the model to dynamically allocate compute resources based on task complexity. Flash, in particular, was optimized for low-latency, high-throughput tasks, making it (according to Gemini itself) "ideal for enterprise-scale deployments." Gemini 2.5 also extended integration across Google's ecosystem, reinforcing its role as a general-purpose assistant for both individual users and enterprise teams. Like other major AI chatbots in its class, Gemini is powered by a large language model (LLM). In Gemini's case, it's based on Google DeepMind's Gemini 1.5 Pro and 2.5 Pro models, which are part of a greater family of large multimodal models built on a Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) transformer architecture. This design allows the system to dynamically route tasks to specialized 'experts' within the model, improving efficiency and performance across a wide range of inputs. It's worth noting that Google researchers were instrumental in developing the original transformer architecture back in 2017—a breakthrough that laid the foundation for nearly all modern large language models, including Gemini. Transformers are a type of neural network architecture that excels at bulk processing many different types of information—especially language, images, and audio. Originally developed by Google researchers in 2017, transformers work by analyzing the relationships between elements in a sequence (like words in a sentence or frames in a video) all at once, as opposed to one by one. Although they first gained traction in natural language processing, transformers are now widely used in audio and visual applications, powering everything from speech recognition and music generation to real-time closed captioning and video analysis. Mixture-of-experts systems, meanwhile, let multiple "sub-AIs" join forces to handle different parts of the same task, in order to produce a higher-quality, more polished result. Together, these technologies empower modern AI heavyweights like Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT, and their kin. Thanks to its technological ancestry, one of Gemini's core strengths is its ability to handle multimodal input and output. Users can upload a photo, a video clip, a spreadsheet, or a block of code, whereupon Gemini can interpret the content, reason about it, and generate a relevant response. Gemini can do things like summarize a PDF, analyze a chart, or generate a caption for an image. According (again) to Gemini itself, the model's design emphasizes "fluid, context-aware interaction across formats and Workspaces, rather than siloed, single-mode tasks." On the server side, Gemini uses a resource management mechanism known as a 'thinking budget'—a configurable system that allocates additional computational resources to queries that require a more thorough analysis. For example, when tackling a multi-step math problem, interpreting a legal document, or generating code with embedded logic, Gemini can spend more time and processing power to improve accuracy and coherence. This feature is especially prominent in the Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash models, where developers can either let the model decide when to think more deeply or manually configure the budget to balance speed and depth. As a generative AI, Gemini is built from the ground up to generate a novel response to prompts or queries from the user. Ask it a question and it'll answer you, with a limited memory for your conversation history. You can ask it to explain current events, use it to find vacation destinations, work through an idea, and so on. Its Deep Research feature allows you to have a bit of back-and-forth with the AI to refine your research plan before it really gets into the work of answering your question, like a really stiff, corporate guy Friday. Think "Alfred Pennyworth, but sponsored by Google instead of Wayne Industries." To give a sense of Gemini's image creation capabilities, we've included a few examples of images created using Gemini. For example, here's what you get when you ask it for photorealism: Credit: ExtremeTech/Gemini We asked Gemini to create a photorealistic image of "a tufted titmouse sitting on a branch of an oak tree," and it filled in the rest of the details. It can also handle surrealism: in this case, we had it produce a surrealist image of three cubes, one of raw amethyst, one of patinaed copper, and one of... watermelon. Credit: ExtremeTech/Gemini Gemini also has a knack for rendering a subject of choice in wildly different artistic styles, such as art nouveau, sumi-e, impressionist painting, pointilism, et cetera. Credit: ExtremeTech/Gemini We tried out Gemini's Deep Research feature and found it to produce a thorough and well-sourced research report on several unrelated topics, such as motor vehicle safety, the Hubble telescope, the safety and efficacy of various herbal supplements, and (on a whim) mozzarella cheese. Despite its technical sophistication, Gemini still faces the same limitations that affect other large language models. Issues include hallucination—confidently generating incorrect or misleading information—as well as occasional struggles with ambiguous prompts or complicated reasoning. While Gemini's long memory for context helps reduce some of these issues, it can't eliminate them entirely. The model's performance can also vary depending on what it's doing: for instance, interpreting complex images or audio clips may yield less consistent results than text-based tasks. Google continues to refine Gemini's output quality, but anyone using generative AI should verify any load-bearing or otherwise critical information, especially in high-stakes or professional contexts. On the ethical-AI front, Gemini has encountered its share of controversy. For example, in early 2024, its image-generation feature was briefly suspended after users discovered that it produced historically inaccurate or racially incongruous depictions, like racially diverse Nazis—an overcorrection in an attempt to promote diversity. The incident spotlighted the difficulty of balancing inclusivity with factual accuracy and raised broader questions about how AI systems are trained, tested, and deployed. Google responded by pausing the feature and committing to more rigorous oversight, but the episode underscores the ongoing challenge of aligning AI behavior with social expectations and ethical norms. And then there's privacy. Uff da. Listen, you probably already knew this, but in case you didn't: Google absolutely strip-mines your every keystroke, click, and search query for data it can use to 1) make more money and 2) improve its products, in that order. That's the bargain, and they're not subtle about it. Say what you will about the mortifying ordeal of being known—right above the input box, Gemini places a standard disclaimer that chats are reviewed in order to analyze their contents and improve the UX. That may or may not matter for your purposes, but—better the devil you know, eh? As of June 2025, Google offers three tiers of service for Gemini. Gemini offers free access to the service to anyone with a Google account. Google's paid AI Pro subscription will run you $20 a month. The Pro tier includes access to AI video creation and filmmaking tools like Flow and Whisk, powered by Google's video creation model, Veo 2. It also includes the ability to use Gemini through your Gmail and Google Docs, plus a couple terabytes of storage. College students get a free upgrade to the Pro tier through the end of finals 2026. For seriously committed AI users on the enterprise level, there's also a "Google AI Ultra" subscription, available for between $125 and $250, depending on whether it's on sale. The Ultra subscription offers additional perks, including 30 TB of storage, early access to Project Mariner (an "agentic research prototype"), and a YouTube Premium individual plan. Google has laid out an ambitious vision for Gemini: to evolve it into a universal AI assistant capable of reasoning, planning, and acting across devices and modalities. According to DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis, the long-term goal is to develop Gemini into a 'world model'—an AI system that can simulate aspects of the real world, understand context, and take action on behalf of users. This includes integrating capabilities like video understanding, memory, and real-time interaction, with early versions already appearing in Gemini Live and Project Astra demos. In the near term, Google is working to weave Gemini in from top to bottom throughout its ecosystem, from Android and Chrome to Google search and smart devices. The assistant is expected to become more proactive, context-aware, and personalized—surfacing recommendations, managing tasks, and even controlling hardware like smart glasses. Some of these developments are already underway, with Gemini 2.5 models supporting audio-visual input, native voice output, and long-context reasoning for more complex workflows. All this product integration is very shiny and impressive, but if you're familiar with Google's track record (or the "Google graveyard"), it also starts to feel a little precarious. Cantilevered, even. Google's history of launching and later discontinuing high-profile products—ranging from Google Reader to Stadia—has earned it a somewhat checkered reputation. While Gemini currently enjoys strong internal support and integration across flagship services, its long-term survival will depend on sustained user adoption, successful monetization, and Google's willingness to iterate rather than pivot. For now, Gemini represents one of the company's most comprehensive and promising bets on the longevity of AI—but in the Google ecosystem, even the most promising tools aren't guaranteed to last.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
OpenAI designs rival to Office and Workspace, The Information reports
-- OpenAI is developing productivity features for ChatGPT that would position the company as a competitor to Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Workspace and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Office, according to a report from The Information. The AI company is working on collaborative document editing and integrated chat capabilities, marking a strategic expansion beyond its core chatbot functionality. These new tools align with CEO Sam Altman's vision of transforming ChatGPT into a lifelong personal assistant, including at work. This development comes at a sensitive time in OpenAI's relationship with Microsoft, which holds approximately 49% stake in OpenAI's for-profit unit. The two companies are currently negotiating a restructuring of OpenAI's for-profit operations, with both sides seeking favorable terms. The planned features would resemble functions offered by Microsoft's Office 365 and Google's Workspace, two dominant software suites in business IT that have already incorporated generative AI tools into their platforms. Beyond document collaboration, OpenAI appears to be developing a broader ecosystem including a browser, an AI-powered hardware device, and a social content feed within ChatGPT. These initiatives suggest the company is seeking greater control over how users create, access, and share content online. For enterprise customers who currently use ChatGPT as a standalone tool, these integrated productivity applications could make the platform a more central component of company workflows. This could potentially lead businesses to reconsider their software subscription bundles that have traditionally favored Microsoft and Google. While no official product announcements or timelines have been made public, these developments indicate OpenAI may be preparing to reshape the enterprise technology landscape as AI continues to transform productivity tools. Related articles OpenAI designs rival to Office and Workspace, The Information reports Solar stocks surge after Senate Republicans hint at tax credit changes Gross predicts little bull market for stocks, bear for bonds
Android Authority
20-06-2025
- Android Authority
Google Drive for Android gets a video player upgrade and better upload tools
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google Drive for Android now has a redesigned video player with easier-to-use playback controls. The mobile upload process has also been improved with file renaming, folder selection, and clearer progress tracking. Both features are now rolling out to all Google Workspace and personal Drive users. Google has been steadily modernizing its main storage app. The latest Google Drive for Android updates focus on making videos easier to watch and files easier to upload. According to Google's Workspace Updates blog, the Android app is finally getting the same revamped video player that rolled out on the web last year. The refreshed design moves playback controls below the video rather than overlaying them, making them easier to see and use. It also includes quick access to captions, playback speed, and full-screen mode. We first previewed the Android version of this player back in March, when code in a Drive app teardown hinted at the visual overhaul. At the time, the updated layout could be manually enabled but hadn't yet rolled out to users. Google Drive's mobile upload experience is also getting a facelift. You can now rename files and select their destination folder as soon as you hit upload, and a new progress bar gives a clearer view of how much remains. There's also an Upload tab where you can keep track of pending and recently completed uploads. Both changes have fully rolled out to all Workspace customers and personal Google accounts. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
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Business Standard
19-06-2025
- Business Standard
Now, you can schedule actions on Gemini app for Android: How it works
Scheduled actions feature in Gemini app for Android is currently rolling out to Gemini AI Pro, AI Ultra, and select Workspace users. It's not yet available on iOS or web, and to free-tier users New Delhi Google is now reportedly widely rolling out 'Scheduled Actions' in the Gemini app for Android. According to a 9To5Google report, this feature is being rolled out for Gemini AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, as well as select Workspace users. It's not yet available on iOS or the web version, and it is unclear whether free-tier users will get access in the future. According to a Google blog, with scheduled actions, users can ask Gemini to perform one-time or recurring tasks – like getting a daily summary of emails, receiving blog post ideas every Monday, or even getting weather-based outfit suggestions each morning. Scheduled Actions: How to manage To see and manage your Scheduled Actions: Open the Gemini app. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner. Go to 'Scheduled actions', found between 'Apps' and 'Gem manager' in the menu. Here, you can: View all your scheduled tasks / Pause or delete them using the overflow menu. According to Google, Gemini now allows users to schedule up to 10 active tasks simultaneously. These tasks can be managed—viewed, paused, or removed—through a new 'Scheduled actions' section found under Settings in the Gemini app, available on both mobile and desktop platforms. For location-based tasks, the assistant will reference the original creation location to ensure consistent execution. Notifications for scheduled actions are sent as push alerts on mobile devices, allowing users to stay updated without needing to open the app.
