Google is striving to show the effectiveness of its AI assistant. Simply days after showcasing buyer success tales and integrating Google Gemini to Workspace, the tech large continues to keep up its momentum. TechRepublic attended the invite-only Gemini at Work occasion on Sept. 26 on the industrial-chic Pier 57 workplace in New York Metropolis to get a more in-depth take a look at the AI assistant’s capabilities.
Gemini is greatest at summarization, not so good at creativity
The demonstrations on the Gemini at Work occasion revealed that Gemini performs greatest when people have already outlined the parameters of a challenge. Gemini for Workspace integrates seamlessly throughout the platform, dwelling in a sidebar.
In any Workspace utility, I might ask Gemini concerning the pre-made firm conferences, pitch decks and emails Google supplied. Gemini is exceptionally efficient at summarizing — and Google is aware of it. Urgent the Gemini star in docs will summarize the doc with out the consumer even having to enter a immediate.
Analyzing assembly notes with Gemini works pretty properly, however Gemini struggles with questions that don’t instantly reference present textual content. I might ask Gemini questions concerning the content material of an e mail from a particular shopper, because the Google consultant operating the demo inspired me to do. However asking Gemini “Which of these emails is most urgent?” returned no solutions, though most of the emails have been non-urgent “Welcome to Gemini” messages and others have been from my fictional purchasers.
SEE: Google’s AI Overviews places Gemini within the ubiquitous search engine.
The AI struggled with specificity. Google’s meant demonstration was a pitch deck a few espresso store’s fall menu. I requested Gemini to draft some advertising and marketing copy for the espresso store, particularly referencing components of New York Metropolis life. The ensuing copy was imprecise. The town identify was current however included no different landmarks or references to New York’s distinct tradition. Asking Gemini to slender the textual content to speak about Brooklyn’s Prospect Park space produced photos of espresso in mugs fairly than related outcomes.
Prompting typically takes just a few tries to get proper, however I don’t suppose human entrepreneurs with real-world data of their buyer base can get total tasks from Gemini. Google is conscious of that. Disclaimers abound about Gemini being a artistic writing instrument, not an arbiter of info. Lots of the buyer tales illustrate this level.
Gemini prospects use AI as a place to begin
Andrew Larson, chief expertise and knowledge safety officer at accounting software program firm FinQuery, was one in every of many shoppers who examined Gemini. He mentioned that his firm needs to leverage the expertise to “reduce our toil, all those mundane, kind of low-thought tasks.”
His builders double-checked Gemini’s work and validated it themselves. In the meantime, Gemini helps scale back repetitive or rote duties and free folks as much as have “innovative or big light bulb moments,” Larson mentioned.
Colin Wilkinson, engineering supervisor at Etsy, mentioned his crew requested Gemini for high buyer issues, recurring points, and the way typically they get tickets that want escalation. This helps product groups reply to suggestions quicker.
“It’s like having an advisor, a consultant or a mentor even,” Mark Cuban, “Shark Tank” investor and, most just lately, co-founder of pharmaceutical firm Value Plus Medication. Cuban was a visitor speaker on the occasion.
VM and GM of Google Workspace Aparna Pappu interviews investor Mark Cuban at Google’s Pier 57 location in New York on Sept. 26.
His tackle working with AI was cynical, saying “You can curse at it, you can call it names, it doesn’t matter.” Cuban introduced AI as a substitute for hiring extra folks, with the additional advantage AI can’t discuss again — a grim take a look at the function of an assistant, maybe.
Nonetheless, Google has a doubtlessly profitable discipline to fill, with 10 million present Workspace prospects who might doubtlessly purchase a Gemini add-on. Google needs to coach these potential prospects as a lot as doable — most of the attendees of the occasion have been executives or small enterprise homeowners, some new to AI.
“It’s really important for the workforce of tomorrow to know these skills,” mentioned VP and GM of Google Workspace Aparna Pappu.
