Google recently added the ability to generate and export downloadable files directly in the chat interface to the Gemini application, making up for an important shortcoming in its productivity tools.For a long time, mainstream AI assistants such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and ChatGPT have been able to generate documents directly in chats. However, Gemini users often need to copy and paste the answer content into other applications and then adjust the layout and format. This update further pushes Gemini from an "answer tool" to a "productivity center."
According to information announced by Google, Gemini can now generate files in a variety of commonly used formats with one click in conversations, including Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PDF, Markdown, and native Google Docs, Slides, etc., and supports direct downloading or saving to Google Drive. Google CEO Sundar Pichai also said on social platforms that users only need to issue instructions to create documents such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, PDFs, etc. in chat, eliminating the need to copy and paste and manual formatting. This feature is currently open to Gemini app users around the world.
In terms of specific supported file types, Gemini covers multiple categories such as documents, tables, and technical formats. Documents include Google Docs, Google Slides, Microsoft Word (.docx), PDF, plain text (TXT), and rich text format (RTF). For spreadsheets, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), and CSV files are supported. Format for developers and technical users include LaTeX and Markdown (.md), which facilitates the generation of technical documentation, academic writing, and code-related instructions.
In terms of usage, users can directly enter natural language instructions in Gemini chat, such as "Create a project document" or "Draft a project WBS task list", and Gemini will first generate the corresponding content in the chat. Once the response is generated, users can simply click on the export option to download the file to their local device or save it directly to the corresponding location in Google Drive. In addition, users can also take or upload pictures of handwritten notes, and let Gemini recognize and organize them into a PDF file, eliminating the process of manual entry and typesetting.
Google said that this capability will be rolled out to all users of the Gemini application, including enterprise version of Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and ordinary users who log in to the Gemini application with their personal Google accounts. With the ability to directly generate and export files, Gemini's competitiveness in the AI assistant productivity track has been significantly enhanced, and it is expected to become a powerful auxiliary entrance in addition to the traditional Office suite.