Google Docs auto-enables Gemini AI writing tools

What happened

Google has added Gemini AI features to Google Docs, including a text box prompting users to "write with Gemini" and a "help me write" feature that hovers over the cursor. These features appear automatically and require users to manually turn them off.

Why it matters

The AI pop-ups interrupt the writing process and are difficult to locate and disable—users must navigate through multiple menu steps in Gmail settings rather than finding a simple on-off toggle in Docs itself. This marks a shift toward making AI features opt-out rather than opt-in, which may frustrate users who want to use Google's writing tools without AI assistance.

What to watch

Users can disable these features by going to Gmail Settings, clicking "See all settings," scrolling to "Google Workspace smart features," and toggling off the first option for Google Workspace smart features. This single setting disables Gemini pop-ups in Google Docs and similar AI features across the workspace.