Google's new Gemini agent takes the goal and works out the steps, like a new starter who doesn't need hand-holding
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
On 8 October Google announced the Gemini agent, an AI agent that plans and finishes work inside Workspace. It's in private preview, with select Business and Enterprise plans next.
The short version
- The Gemini agent is a new Google AI agent that takes a goal, plans the steps and hands back finished work.
- Google announced it on 8 October 2026; it is in private preview, with wider rollout soon for select Workspace Business and Enterprise plans.
- Pick one repeat task with a clear finish line now, so you have something sensible to hand it when it arrives.
Most AI tools still want every step spelled out, like training someone who's nervous about the photocopier. Google's new Gemini agent is meant to take the goal and work out the steps itself.
What is the Gemini agent?
The Gemini agent is a single AI agent from Google that answers questions, does knowledge work and even writes code, all from one prompt box. Google announced it on 8 October at its Gemini at Work event, with the line that you give it objectives, not instructions.
Inside Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Chat you'll be able to mention @Gemini to call it in. Google's example: ask it to book a meeting with the usual regional event leads, and it works out who they are from your chat space, then checks calendars and starts the email thread. It runs in the cloud, so long jobs keep going after you close the laptop, and it can pick Google's Gemini models or Anthropic's Claude models for each job.
Who can use it, and when?
The Gemini agent is in private preview, and Google says wider availability is coming soon for Workspace customers on select Business and Enterprise plans.
Google hasn't given a date or a separate price, or said which plans count as select. So for now it's the trailer, not the film.
Should your business do something about it?
Businesses on Google Workspace don't need to change anything yet, because the Gemini agent isn't generally available.
My advice: use the wait to pick one repeat job with a clear finish line, like turning the monthly numbers into a three-slide update. An agent that takes goals is only as good as the goal you give it, so write down what finished looks like and what it isn't allowed to touch. If you can't explain the job to a new starter in two sentences, the agent won't do much better.
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