Alphabet's Google Cloud unveiled the Gemini agent at its Gemini at Work event on October 8, 2026 — a single universal AI agent for work that can answer questions, handle tasks, create content and write code, according to Reuters. It's Google's answer to a race that's moving fast: OpenAI launched always-on agents called "dots" in September, and Meta released its personal AI agent Muse last month.

The agent works directly inside Google Workspace apps — Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Calendar — and can also be used through Microsoft 365 and Slack, keeping the same context across devices. It plans the work, uses tools, connects to a company's business systems, and returns finished work in documents, email and developer environments, Google said.

Two details stand out. First, the agent picks the best model for each task automatically — currently running on Google's Gemini models and Anthropic's Claude models, with other models to be added later. Second, users can create "coworker agents" that act as team members with their own email address and access only to the information they're given. Versions built for financial services and legal work are now in preview, with versions for government, healthcare and retail coming soon.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is starting with business customers before rolling out to consumers, aiming to solve the "harder problems around security, scale, and performance" first. The agent is currently in private preview for enterprise customers — Google hasn't announced general access or pricing yet. With nearly 90% of Fortune 100 companies already using Gemini Enterprise, per the company, Google is betting its distribution advantage in the workplace is the edge that matters.

Sources