Gemini AI now available in Google Chat sidebar • iPhone in Canada Blog

Google continues its efforts to make communication and collaboration more efficient in its Workspace suite with the expansion Gemini AI Tool in the Google Chat sidebar.

The move follows months of Gemini being accessible in other Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive, where it helped users generate summaries, analyze data, and create content based on information gleaned from emails and their documents.

Starting today, Google is rolling out all of Gemini’s capabilities directly to the Chat sidebar, offering additional tools to help with collaboration in spaces, group messaging, and even one-to-one direct messaging.

With Gemini in the Google Chat sidebar, users can perform several tasks to improve team communication, including:

• Summary of conversations: Ask Gemini to generate a brief or detailed outline of any discussion.
• Identifying action items: Users can request a list of tasks or responsibilities from a conversation by simply asking “What are the actions in this conversation?”
• Answer to specific questions: Gemini can also help clarify details in conversations, such as “What did (the person) say about the project deadline?” or “What is the decision about the new product launch?”

This feature is designed to directly impact end users, making it easier to collaborate and stay informed, especially in dynamic workspaces where conversations can move quickly.

Integrating Gemini into the Google Chat sidebar is a significant productivity boost. By summarizing conversations and highlighting essential information, users can focus on what matters most.

Furthermore, Gemini’s ability to provide quick answers to specific questions within a chat can save time during meetings or discussions where decisions or tasks are being made, but could easily be overlooked.

For rapid release domains, the rollout begins on November 1, 2024 and may take up to 15 days for full visibility. For scheduled release domains, the feature will be fully visible within one to three days starting November 18, 2024.