Google revealed new voice-based prompting and conversational AI features integrated into Workspace apps including Docs, Keep, and Gmail at its 2026 I/O keynote on May 18 in the US [1, 2, 3]. Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, "In the future, users will be able to create and edit documents using their voice," highlighting the company’s focus on applying voice AI to productivity tools [1].
In Docs, users can now create draft documents using voice commands that integrate data from Drive and Gmail emails. This enables multi-task queries and edits in a single conversation, improving workflow efficiency [1, 3]. The Keep app offers transcription of voice input into structured notes or lists and can generate reminders based on free-form dictation [1, 3]. Gmail Live lets users ask natural language questions to search their inbox for relevant details, such as flight or school emails, streamlining information retrieval [1, 3].
Google said the voice AI technology can accommodate longer, complex queries and handle changes or corrections made mid-conversation, aiming for a more natural user interaction [1]. Additionally, Google introduced Google Pics, an AI image generation and editing app powered by the Nano Banana model. Google Pics allows granular image edits and text-to-image generation and is currently in limited preview with trusted testers [2].
The new voice prompting and AI features for Workspace, including Google Pics, are scheduled to roll out this summer. They will be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers and offered as a preview to Google Workspace business customers [2, 3].
