What to know
- New and current Chromebook Plus laptops will receive Gemini and other AI features.
- AI features like Help me write, AI backgrounds, and Magic Editor will be built into the OS itself, and a Gemini icon will be on the taskbar.
- New Chromebook Plus users will also receive 2TB of storage and access to Gemini Advanced on Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail and more.
Google announced today that it’s adding Gemini, along with several other AI features, to Chromebook Plus laptops. These will first arrive on the new lineup from Acer, Asus and HP. Ones that are already in the market will receive these as part of update packages.
Google’s new AI features, such as the “Help me write” tool and the ability to create AI wallpapers and video call backgrounds, will be built into the OS itself.
More importantly, Chromebook Plus laptops will also get exclusive access to Google Photo’s Magic Editor – so you can edit your photos and videos with a click. The chatbot Gemini will be placed on the Home page so you can invoke it from the taskbar itself and start chatting.
Chromebooks will also receive additional features such as quick setup with Android, one-click access to Google Tasks, GIF screen recording, and a new Game Dashboard. Many more such AI features are on the way.
Along with Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs, there is now a clear trend towards deeper AI-fication of devices across the board, which may or may not excite the userbase.
To make the deal more palatable, Google has thrown in 12 months of Google One AI Premium for free for all new Chromebook Plus users. Access to Gemini Advanced and 2TB of cloud storage could encourage users to engage with these out-of-box AI goodies.
