Back to Blog
Workspace Updates
AI Revolutionises Google Workspace: Key Updates for Administrators
April 23, 2026
8 min read
0 views
Jack Miller
Loading reactions...
Google Workspace continues its rapid evolution, integrating advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities across its suite of applications. These innovations are designed to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and offer more intelligent ways to manage information. For Google Workspace Administrators, understanding these updates is key to optimising user experience and maintaining control over organisational data. This post details some of the most significant AI-driven enhancements recently rolled out.
Google Workspace Studio now integrates "Gems," enabling organisations to automate tasks more intelligently. Administrators can leverage the "Ask a Gem" step within Studio flows, allowing private Gems to process prompts and automate actions such as summarising content or drafting documents. Importantly, these Gems can utilise Drive files in their knowledge base, offering a powerful tool for custom automation within your existing file structures. Administrators have default access to this step if Gemini for Google Workspace steps are permitted, ensuring controlled deployment. This feature began a gradual rollout on 17 April 2026.
Gmail search is now more powerful with the introduction of AI Overviews. This feature allows users to pose natural language questions in the search bar and receive concise summaries and answers derived from their emails, eliminating the need to sift through multiple fragmented threads. This capability was previously available to individual subscribers and is now extending to business and education users with eligible licences. For administrators, this feature is available by default if Gemini for Workspace in Gmail and Workspace Intelligence access to Gmail are enabled. Rollout commenced on 22 April 2026.
Organisations can now create custom branded avatars in Google Vids, thanks to the integration of "Nano Banana 2." This enhancement allows users to upload a logo and refine its appearance on AI-generated presenters, ensuring brand consistency across video content. Nano Banana 2's capabilities assist in adjusting logo sizing and placement to match the video's style. These branded avatars can be saved within each Vid, facilitating consistent collaboration. This feature does not have specific admin controls and began a gradual rollout on 22 April 2026.
Google Drive now offers two significant AI enhancements: AI Overviews and Ask Gemini.
AI Overviews provide instant, reliable summaries of information from multiple files directly within search results. Users can ask natural language questions, and Gemini scans documents to deliver clear answers, helping to understand the "big picture" without opening numerous files. This feature, now generally available, respects existing data protection and security controls. Administrators can control access via the Gemini for Workspace in Drive setting. This started rolling out on 22 April 2026 for English, with other languages following from 6 May 2026.
"Ask Gemini in Drive" creates a dedicated, immersive workspace for in-depth analysis of Drive content. It facilitates high-context, multi-turn conversations about specific files and folders. Key features include persistent conversation history and "Drive projects," which allow for curating related files into a central, shared knowledge base. This feature is built directly into Drive's architecture, honouring existing security and compliance policies. Administrators manage access through the Gemini for Workspace in Drive setting. This began rolling out on 22 April 2026 for English, with other languages following from 6 May 2026.
Google Sheets sees multiple AI-powered improvements, focusing on efficiency and advanced data handling.
"Fill with Gemini" automates data entry and preparation. This feature infers user intent, allowing for data population up to nine times faster than manual methods for common tasks. It offers both drag-and-drop and prompt-based filling, eliminating the need for complex formulas. Administrators can manage its visibility through the "Smart features for Google Workspace" setting. This started a gradual rollout on 22 April 2026.
A new AI-powered feature in Sheets allows for the effortless conversion of unstructured text (like bulleted lists or JSON) into organised tables. A "Convert to table" button appears upon pasting suitable content, streamlining data entry and speeding up analysis. This feature is managed by the "Smart features for Google Workspace" setting and began a gradual rollout on 22 April 2026.
Gemini in Sheets now enables users to build and edit entire spreadsheets using simple natural language prompts. Utilising Workspace Intelligence, it synthesises data across various Workspace apps and the web to create stylised tables, formulas, pivot tables, and charts. It can handle complex, multi-step tasks, and offers end-to-end creation and side-by-side editing capabilities. Administrators control this feature via the Gemini for Workspace in Sheets setting. This began a gradual rollout on 22 April 2026.
Google Docs is transforming into a more intelligent collaborator with new Gemini experiences designed to accelerate document creation and refinement.
The upgraded "Help me create" experience generates relevant, fully formatted first drafts by synthesising information from Drive, Gmail, Chat, and the web. "Help me write" allows users to prompt Gemini from a new bottom bar or side panel for edits, with suggestions visible only to the user until approved. A "Match writing style" feature helps maintain consistent tone and style across documents. Administrators manage access through the Gemini for Workspace in Docs setting. This started a gradual rollout on 22 April 2026.
This new capability allows Gemini to mirror a source document's formatting (fonts, colours) and structural elements (headings, tables) when generating new content. This ensures new documents align with an organisation's brand identity and existing templates. This feature will initially launch in English, with support for other languages planned. Administrators manage access through the Gemini for Workspace in Docs setting. This started a gradual rollout on 22 April 2026.
Workspace Intelligence is the underlying AI system that provides Gemini with a real-time understanding of work across Google Workspace applications like Gmail, Chat, Calendar, and Drive. It grounds generative AI tasks in an organisation's data, reducing the need for users to manually provide context. As an administrator, granular controls are available in the Admin Console to manage which data sources Workspace Intelligence can utilise for your organisation. While it is on by default, administrators can disable access to specific data sources at the domain, organisational unit, or group level. It is important to note that disabling data sources may reduce the optimal performance of AI features. This full rollout commenced on 22 April 2026.
These extensive AI and machine learning integrations across Google Workspace underscore a commitment to intelligent automation and enhanced user productivity. For Google Workspace Administrators, these updates present opportunities to empower users with advanced tools while maintaining essential oversight and control through the Admin Console. Keeping abreast of these developments ensures organisations can fully leverage the evolving capabilities within the Google Workspace ecosystem.
Continue reading more on this topic