AI-powered summaries are rolling out to Gmail for business users

During its Google Cloud Next conference on Wednesday, the company announced a wide range of Workspace-focused updates, including expanding its AI Overviews feature to Gmail. The feature, which is currently used to generate summaries of Google Search results, will now be applied to Gmail users in workplace environments.

According to Google, this update will allow Gmail users to ask questions in natural language directly in search and receive concise answers without opening and reading individual emails.

The company says the feature can be used for business-related queries on topics commonly found in emails, such as performance improvements, project milestones, invoices, comments on presentations, travel details, and more, and delivers clear, direct responses.

The AI Overview system will generate an instant summary by pulling information from multiple emails and conversations at once.

While not all users prefer AI as the first step in finding information, it is quickly becoming more common across Google’s ecosystem and other digital platforms.

In this case, Google says AI Overviews in Gmail will be enabled by default when a company has Gemini for Workspace activated in Gmail, and Workspace Intelligence access to Gmail is enabled. End users must also have “Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet” and “Google Workspace smart features” enabled.

Previously, the feature was available to consumers subscribed to Google AI Pro and Ultra plans. Google now says it is expanding access to business, enterprise, and education customers through the following offerings:

• Business: Business Starter, Standard
• Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard
• Consumers: Google AI Pro and Ultra
• Other Editions: Frontline Plus
• AI Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education

Alongside this rollout, Google announced that AI Overviews in Drive are now generally available to eligible users on the Workspace and Google AI plans. This feature had previously been in beta testing.