By Robin Ajello | Updated on Oct 08, 2026 at 02:25 PM
Alphabet Inc.’s Google announced a “universal” Gemini agent for the workplace, ramping up competition with OpenAI, Anthropic PBC and Microsoft Corp. for corporate customers.
The artificial intelligence tool can be used for a range of tasks, from answering questions to content creation and coding, the company said on Thursday. The Gemini agent operates inside a range of Google apps, including Gmail, Drive, Docs and Calendar, Google said.
“It chooses the best model for the job, has built-in cost controls, and most importantly, has the security, administration and governance required by your company,” Google Cloud Chief Executive Officer Thomas Kurian said in a blog post announcing the new agent.
Google needs to launch products that appeal to lucrative enterprise customers in order to recoup its investment of hundreds of billions of dollars in AI infrastructure. The company is in a heated race with Anthropic, OpenAI, Amazon.com Inc. and Microsoft to become the go-to platform for worker tasks.
Alphabet shares gained about 1.5% before the markets opened in New York.