Google expands Gemini in Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive

Google is integrating its AI assistant Gemini more deeply into the Workspace applications Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive. The new features access content from Gmail, Chat, Drive, and the web to create drafts, analyze tables, and generate presentations. The beta launches on March 10, 2026, initially in English for users of Gemini Alpha (Business) as well as Google AI Pro and Ultra.

In Docs, Google is introducing several Gemini functions, as the company explains in a blog post on Workspace updates. “Help me create” generates initial drafts based on data from Drive, Gmail, Chat, and the web. “Help me write” is intended for targeted revision of existing texts. Furthermore, “Match writing style” adapts the tone to a consistent writing style, while formatting can be automatically adjusted to templates. All edits remain private until the user explicitly shares them with third parties.

Sheets: Table optimization via natural language

In Sheets, Gemini will build and edit complete tables using natural language in the future. According to Google, the “Fill with Gemini” function fills data in 100 cells nine times faster than manually. In addition, there is the integration of OR-Tools from Google DeepMind and Google Research: Gemini uses these to solve optimization tasks such as assigning employees to maximize profit under availability rules. On the SpreadsheetBench benchmark, Gemini achieves a success rate of 70.48 percent, thus approaching human expertise, according to Google.

In Slides, Gemini generates slides whose layout is adapted to the design of existing presentations. Soon, a “Generate presentation” function will create complete presentations from descriptions and Workspace data – including brand-compliant design.

For Drive, Google announces two innovations: AI Overviews provide semantic summaries with source references instead of mere file lists for search queries. “Ask Gemini” searches Drive files, Gmail, Calendar, and Chat, allowing results to be filtered and projects to be saved. These Drive features will initially launch in the USA.

Data protection and availability

Google emphasizes that Workspace data protection standards apply: user data does not train models, accesses respect permissions and DLP policies. For EU users, GDPR-compliant guarantees apply, including data residency. The features are available worldwide, with only the new Drive features being reserved for US users. However, users must use them in English; Google provides no information on support for other languages.

With its range of features, Google is positioning itself in direct competition with Microsoft 365 Copilot, which offers similar AI-powered generation in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. In addition, Google recently released gws, an open-source CLI tool for Workspace, which supports AI agents.

(fo)