Google Workspace is getting a slew of AI-related updates, including a brand new app called Google Pics, which can generate and edit images for you. Many of these updates will be available to those who use Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, and other Google Workspace apps, the company announced during the Google I/O 2026 keynote. This includes conversational features that will allow you to control Gmail, Docs, and Keep; a new AI inbox that aims to help you stay on top of your email; and a personal AI agent called Gemini Spark that can integrate with Google Workspace apps to get things done for you.
Here are all the major Google Workspace updates unveiled during Google I/O 2026. These features are rolling out for Google AI subscribers and paying Google Workspace users. This means that you won’t be able to try much if you’re on the free tier of Google services.
Create and edit images with AI in Google Pics
Google Pics is a new app built with the company’s latest Nano Banana AI image generation model, and allows you to create and edit photos using AI. Google claims this tool makes useful image editing tools more accessible, highlighting examples such as modifying and translating text, as well as transforming specific elements in an image (e.g., changing a sweater’s color or turning a dog into a cat). You can also generate an image with a text prompt, but the real highlight seems to be granular editing.
Like every other AI-related image generation tool, Google Pics also raises ethical questions about the nature of an image. It’s not hard to imagine how tools like these could be misused to manipulate and deceive. One can only hope that Google has guardrails in place to clearly identify images edited with Google Pics, and to prevent misuse. This app is available to “Trusted Testers” today, and will be rolling out globally to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers (and in preview to Google Workspace business users) this summer.
Enhanced conversational capabilities in Gmail, Docs, and Keep
Google is adding new voice features to Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Keep. The email service is getting a feature called Gmail Live, which will search your inbox to answer your questions. For instance, you could ask something like, “What’s going on at my kid’s school this week?” The service will then search your inbox and find all the emails from your child’s school. The idea is to ask questions with natural language, which is what makes it “conversational.”
The next new feature is Docs Live, which acts as your partner and co-writer, according to Google. You can talk to Docs Live, and it will help you brainstorm ideas, organize your thoughts, and structure your document. Google says the feature can even pull information from Gmail, Google Drive, Google Chat, and the web with your permission. You can think of Docs Live as an outlining tool that can gather a bunch of information quickly, making the writing process quicker for those who struggle to get started with a blank document.
What do you think so far?
For Google Keep users, the new conversational features can turn your “brain dump” into organized notes and lists. You can say everything you want noted down, and the AI assistant will do the sorting and organizing for you. Like Google Pics, all of these conversational features will be rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers (and in preview to Google Workspace business users) this summer.
New features in Gmail’s AI Inbox
Gmail’s AI Inbox, which offers AI-powered summaries, suggestions, and proofreading, is getting a few new tricks too. During I/O 2026, Google announced that AI Inbox will get personalized draft replies, instant file access, and streamlined task management. AI Inbox will be able to generate a contextual draft for you when it detects that an email requires an urgent response, the company claims. With instant file access, AI Inbox can find and display a link to a document from Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides when you need it, which could make it easier to find the right document in email threads. The feature also lets you mark all emails in a certain topic as read. These features will be available to Google AI Plus and Pro subscribers in the U.S. starting today.
A new personal AI agent: Gemini Spark
The final Workspace-related update today is a new AI agent called Gemini Spark. The company says Spark transforms Gemini from an assistant that answers your questions to one that gets things done with your permission. Once you enable this feature, Google says Gemini Spark can perform tasks such as sending emails on your behalf, and adding events to your calendar. The company adds that it will always ask your permission before performing these actions. Gemini Spark will be rolling out to Google Workspace business users in the coming week, and it’ll be available through the Gemini app.
