Google will charge large businesses $30 per user per month to use artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced tools it is adding to Gmail and other apps.
According to new information from Google, the fee for using Duet AI is equivalent to the fee for using the upgraded toolkit 365 Copilot of rival Microsoft, which will be launched in the first half of 2024. The fee for using Duet AI is an additional fee, on top of the cost that companies already pay for the subscription package of integrated Google applications. The company allows companies to test the tools before officially signing up for a subscription.
According to Ms. Aparna Pappu, General Director and Vice President of Google Workspace, the company still does not have a specific policy for smaller companies and individual users.
Google began taking pre-orders for Duet AI for Google Workspace for $30 per user in May, but has not yet made that information public, Pappu said.
Google generates the majority of its revenue from Internet search and online advertising, so it is less dependent on its software business than Microsoft. Google Workspace revenue is included in parent company Alphabet's Google Cloud business, which generated $8 billion in revenue in the second quarter of 2023. Microsoft's Office products generated $13.5 billion in revenue during the same period.
Google is showing signs of growth in its software business, however. The company said Workspace now has 10 million paying customers, up from 9 million in March and 6 million in 2020. More than 1 million people have tried new AI tools in Google’s beta program since they were introduced earlier this year. More than 1,000 customers are using the beta versions.
With Gmail and Google Docs, users can provide a simple text prompt and ask Duet AI to provide results. With Google Slides, users provide a few words describing the desired image, and the AI engine will generate images based on those descriptions. Duet AI can also help plan a Google Sheets spreadsheet and take notes on a Google Meet video call if the user is unable to attend.
There are now over 3 billion Google Workspace users worldwide. Pappu said Duet AI for Google Workspace users will be available in early 2024.
According to Tin Tuc newspaper