In yet another stunning illustration of the power of AI, Google’s Gemini assistant can now add items to your Google Calendar at the press of a single button. Yes, really.
It’s not like the functionality is new. Gemini users can ask the assistant to perform Calendar-related functions, including adding new events. What is new is the addition of a dedicated button in Gmail — once it’s been set up for your (paid-for) account — that automates the clicks you’d need to do this manually.
Another Gemini launch
The new function only works with Google Workspace accounts — Business, Enterprise, Education, or One AI Premium users can use the time-saver — and is context-sensitive. The ‘Add to Calendar’ button will turn up if there is ‘add to Calendar’-worthy content in the email you’re looking at. Provided you’re using Gmail’s web app. It won’t work if you hate yourself enough to set up an Outlook email client on your computer.
Users eager to save fifteen seconds per event will need smart features and personalisation turned on, following which, Gemini will use context awareness to provide the new button. It should auto-populate everything for you, but it still requires human assistance.
An edit screen, much like the one you’ll see if you click the Calendar icon while in an open email in the Gmail web interface, will pop up. There, you can fix any screw-ups, should there be any, and also add other invitees to your newly scheduled event. The search giant’s AI isn’t smart enough to handle that bit for you yet.
The feature started rolling out to Google’s Workspace users on 10 March and will, the company says, continue until about mid-April this year. If you don’t see the feature yet, you either haven’t set up smart features or it hasn’t arrived for your account yet.
