With the recent release of ChatGPT, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping up to be the buzzword of 2023. Used in a myriad of industries, from healthcare to the arts, the machine-learning technology has the power to transform every aspect of our lives - starting with the way we work.
From providing on-the-job training to monitoring workflows, and from data entry to data analysis, AI is gradually moving into every sphere of office life. For Google, the pace of change is encouraging as the company says it wants to harness the power of the technology to "provide compelling and helpful benefits to people and society."
How Google uses AI
Google is all in on AI, investing billions into AI start-ups, applications, and research.
Amid the exciting rush to market, the company is taking a careful and responsible approach to innovation, commenting: "We understand that AI, as a still-emerging technology, poses various and evolving complexities and risks.
"Our development and use of AI must address these risks. That's why we as a company consider it imperative to pursue AI responsibly. We are committed to leading and setting the standard in developing and shipping useful and beneficial applications, applying ethical principles grounded in human values, and evolving our approaches as we learn from research, experience, users, and the wider community."
In 2018, Google adopted AI Principles to set guidelines around what research they will pursue and what to avoid. Updated last year to further refine how these will be put into practice, the principles are:
- Be socially beneficial
- Avoid creating or reinforcing unfair bias
- Be built and tested for safety
- Be accountable to people
- Incorporate privacy design principles
- Uphold high standards of scientific excellence
- Be made available for uses that accord with these principles
According to Google, this strong governance foundation will help identify and mitigate AI risks before the technology is launched in real-world applications.
What Google AI means for Workspace users
AI innovation has already crept into Google Workspace, focusing on helping users better adapt to changing office environments. If you work remotely or have a hybrid schedule, you use Google's AI daily to communicate with your team and work more efficiently.
Workspace AI innovations
Automated summaries
Using language processing tools, Google Docs can now generate automated summaries of your documents, so you don't have to wade through pages of text to get the gist of a lengthy report.
These built-in summaries have recently been extended to Google Spaces so users can catch up on conversations with an instant summary of what's been said. The time-saving feature is also available in Google Meet, producing automated transcripts and summaries of all conferences in the app.
Better meetings
Given the nature of remote work, enhancing video conferencing has been a top priority for Google, and it has brought its machine-learning capabilities to Meet in several ways.
The Live Sharing feature automatically syncs all media within a meeting so attendees can interact with the same files, videos, documents, and other content. And you'll be able to see each other better - the Portrait Restore tool uses AI to improve video quality by automatically adjusting for low light, poor connectivity, and poorly-performing webcams. Portrait Light goes a step further, offering studio-quality lighting so you can better connect with colleagues.
Enhanced security
Mindful of the growing sophistication and prevalence of cyberattacks, Google is using the power of AI to make Workspace users safer as they navigate the cloud.
The company is scaling up its robust phishing and malware protections, extending them from Gmail to Google Docs, Slides, and Sheets. So if you try to open a compromised file in Docs or a presentation in Slides, you'll get an automatically generated alert warning that the file you're about to access contains phishing links or malware.
If you're ready to explore Google Workspace's innovative features and tools, get in touch with our team! Our highly-experienced and Google-certified technicians, engineers, and consultants can guide your organization on the best IT architecture for your needs, providing training to get your staff up to speed and ensuring seamless integration with your existing tech stack. Contact UpCurve Cloud today to arrange a consultation and get started!
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