Google launches workplace AI agent that acts like a colleague

Skip to Content News Archives Economy Defence Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Defence Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Defence Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.HomeInnovationGoogle launches workplace AI agent that acts like a colleagueThe new agent goes beyond Google’s previous offerings, which responded to prompts or ran tasks within a single appAuthor of the article:Davey Alba and Julia LoveThe launch is aimed at winning business customers that Google needs to justify its hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure spending. Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesAlphabet Inc.’s Google announced a Gemini agent for the workplace, ramping up competition with OpenAI, Anthropic PBC and Microsoft Corp. for corporate customers.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountThe artificial intelligence tool can be used for a range of tasks, from answering questions to content creation and coding, the company said on Thursday. The Gemini agent operates inside Google apps, including Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar, Google said.This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Google’s new agent is built to work like a colleague rather than a chatbot, with its own corporate identity and the ability to pursue a goal across several days, the company said. That goes beyond Google’s previous agent offerings, which in many cases responded to prompts or ran preset tasks within a single app.Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“It chooses the best model for the job, has built-in cost controls, and most importantly, has the security, administration and governance required by your company,” Google Cloud chief executive Thomas Kurian said in a blog post announcing the new agent.The launch is aimed at winning business customers that Google needs to justify its hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure spending. The company is in a heated race with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and Amazon.com Inc. to monetize those investments through lucrative corporate contracts.Some Google employees have expressed concerns that the company’s capabilities at the cutting edge have fallen behind rivals, particularly in coding tasks. Google has begun sharing its next, improved flagship artificial intelligence model, Gemini 4 Argon, with trusted cybersecurity partners.Alphabet shares were little changed in New York.We apologize, but this video has failed to load.This advertisement has not loaded yet.Notice for the Postmedia NetworkThis website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.