Google's latest swing at the enterprise AI piñata, Gemini Enterprise, feels like the company finally admitting that slapping AI stickers on Workspace wasn't cutting it. Instead of another add-on, they've built a full-fledged toolkit under Google Cloud for businesses to craft their own AI agents—think customizable digital sidekicks that rummage through your Salesforce data, chat up SAP, and even borrow smarts from tools like Code Assist, all without spilling secrets outside your firewall.
It's intriguing because it promises to weave AI into the messy fabric of workplace workflows, letting agents handle the grunt work in sales, HR, or finance. Imagine your marketing team deploying a bot that autonomously crunches customer insights from Google Workspace and Microsoft 365—no more endless Excel marathons. And with pre-built agents for research or no-code automation, even non-techies can play builder. Humorously, it's like giving every department their own JARVIS, but hopefully without the ego.
Pragmatically, though, let's not pop the champagne yet. At $30 a seat monthly (or $21 for smaller outfits), it's priced like a decent coffee habit, but scaling that across a company could sting. Google's reeling in big names like Figma and Klarna, which is solid, but they're up against OpenAI's 5 million users and Anthropic's Deloitte deal—proving AI agents aren't just hype; they're hiring. The real test? Will these agents actually save time or just create new headaches, like debugging a rogue bot that books the wrong cruise for Virgin Voyages?
For businesses eyeing this, think critically: Does your data jungle need an AI safari guide, or are you better off with simpler tools first? Google's governance dashboard for auditing agents is a smart nod to security paranoia, but adoption hinges on proving ROI without the idealism. If it delivers, it could democratize AI innovation; if not, it's another shiny door leading to the same old room. Either way, the workplace hive is buzzing—time to suit up. Source: Google ramps up its ‘AI in the workplace’ ambitions with Gemini Enterprise
