Google Drive just got AI summaries — and I tested Gemini’s new ‘Help me create’ to see if it lives up to the hype

If you've ever started a project from scratch, you already know the feeling of starting at a blank page. Google is now trying to solve that problem with a wave of new Gemini features across Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive. The updates rolling out today aim to turn Workspace from a set of productivity tools into something closer to an AI collaborator that can help draft documents, build spreadsheets and summarize files across your account.

Many of these tools are designed to remove the manual setup work that usually happens before the real task even begins.

Here’s a closer look at what’s new and how these features could change the way people work inside Google Workspace.

Google Docs: From blank page to first draft

One of the biggest additions to Docs is a new feature called Help me create, which automatically generates a structured draft based on information from your Google Workspace account.

Instead of starting with a blank page, Gemini can pull context from Drive, Gmail, Chat and the web to create a formatted starting document.

For example, just type what you want in the sidebar, such as asking Gemini to create a project proposal, a meeting recap, or a blog post. The tool then assembles a draft using relevant information from your files and messages. Then simply click the arrow to insert everything into the document.

Google has also added tools designed to keep documents consistent:

• Match writing style analyzes the tone of an existing document and rewrites new sections to match it
• Match format mirrors the layout and structure of existing templates
• Context-aware drafting allows Gemini to reference other files directly from Drive

The idea is to eliminate the “setup phase” of writing by giving Gemini your messy notes or ideas so that it can move directly into editing and refining.

Google Sheets: Create and edit spreadsheets with prompts

Gemini is also expanding its capabilities inside Google Sheets, where the AI can now build or modify entire spreadsheets using natural language.

Instead of manually creating rows, columns and formulas, users can simply describe what they want.

For example, typing a prompt like: “Create an editorial calendar for a week of social media content."

In this example, I asked Gemini for social media post ideas, and it automatically generated a structured spreadsheet.

Another new feature within Sheets is called Gemini Fill. This feature can also populate spreadsheets automatically by recognizing patterns or generating values.

Thanks to these new features, Gemini can now handle more complex tasks such as:

• Writing formulas from natural language descriptions
• Editing spreadsheet structures automatically
• Optimizing logistics or planning problems with simple prompts

Google says Gemini’s spreadsheet editing abilities are now among the strongest in the industry. On the public SpreadsheetBench benchmark, the system achieved a 70.48% success rate, approaching the level of human spreadsheet experts.

Google Slides: Generate and redesign presentations

Presentations are another area where Google is leaning heavily on AI assistance. I was able to create an entire presentation just by adding my project launch notes and social media calendar into the sidebar. From there, Gemini integrated directly into Slides and generated new slides that automatically match my existing theme by using Nano Banana 2.

You can also ask Gemini to create slides based on data from other files in Drive. For example, the AI can turn information from a document or spreadsheet into a formatted slide layout. Gemini can also help with design elements by:

• Generating images for slides
• Updating layouts to match brand colors or templates
• Editing slides to match the context of existing presentations

The goal is to remove much of the manual design work involved in creating presentations.

Google Drive: Turning files into a searchable knowledge base

Another major change is happening in Google Drive, which is becoming more of an AI-powered knowledge hub rather than just a place to store files.

Drive now includes AI Overviews, which provide summaries at the top of search results so users can quickly understand what a file contains before opening it.

There’s also a new Ask Gemini capability that lets you ask multi-step questions across your files.

For example, you could ask: "What was the agreed budget for 2027 rebrand?"

Gemini can scan documents, spreadsheets and PDFs across your Drive to locate the answer and identify which files contain the relevant information.

In practice, this turns Drive into something closer to a personal knowledge base built from your own files. Gemini can scan documents, spreadsheets and PDFs across your Drive to locate the answer and identify which files contain the relevant information. In practice, this turns Drive into something closer to a personal knowledge base built from your own files.

The takeaway

Google says these new features are rolling out today to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers as well as Gemini Alpha business customers. The initial rollout will be available in English, with broader availability expected later.

Taken together, these updates highlight new and efficient ways to use AI in the workplace. Instead of requiring users to open a chatbot and ask questions, Google continues to integrate AI tools directly into the apps where work already happens.

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