Google is further leveraging A.I. to help Google Docs users write more efficiently. The app, which is part of Google’s Workspace suite, will provide helpful suggestions to improve writing style, ensure inclusivity, and avoid unnecessary words through a feature called assistive writing suggestions.
“These new features offer a variety of stylistic and writing suggestions as you compose documents,” Google said of the assistive writing feature rollout. “Suggestions will appear as you type and help guide you when there are opportunities to avoid repeated or unnecessary words, helping diversify your writing and ensuring you’re using the most effective word for the situation.”
The internet search giant said that as you write, you’ll see suggestions for alternate wording, using active voice, making sentence structures more concise, use of more inclusive language, and potentially inappropriate words. If Google spots any potential changes that can be made to your document, it will notate the area with a purple squiggly line.
“You’ll see suggestions when there are opportunities to structure a sentence with an active voice or when a sentence can be more concise, helping to make your writing more impactful,” Google explained in a detailed blog post. “Potentially discriminatory or inappropriate language will be flagged, along with suggestions on how to make your writing more inclusive and appropriate for your audience.”
The latest features are an expansion of existing tools designed to fix basic spelling and grammar mistakes.
Unfortunately, however, not all users will be able to get Google’s latest tools designed to elevate your writing. Google stated that the tone and style tool will only be available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, and Education Plus subscribers of the company’s Workspace plans. This means that this particular feature won’t be available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials,, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.
Similarly, the word warnings tool is only available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Teaching, and Learning Up subscribers. This feature will not be available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers.
It’s a bit of a shame that Google’s latest tools — which are designed to help people write more inclusively — won’t be available to every Google Docs user. If you want access to tools that can help with your writing style and tone, you can install third-party extensions that achieve a similar purpose, such as Grammarly.
Google noted that the new tools have already begun to roll out, although they may take a few weeks to appear for users on compatible plans.
The latest update to Google Docs follows Google’s recent announcement to bring better collaboration to its online suite through more thoughtful integration with the Google Meet videoconferencing platform.
