Google Docs is making it easier to digest long reports with new summaries

Google is continuing its push to integrate Gemini into its suite of productivity apps, and the latest update to Google Docs is bringing a new AI-powered feature aimed at simplifying document navigation. The company has announced an AI-generated summary tool that will use Gemini to provide quick overviews of long documents.

Over the past few years, Google Docs has introduced various “building blocks”— pre-designed templates and tools — to help users streamline workflows. These include task trackers, contact lists, and decision logs, which have been designed to assist with team collaboration, project management, and hiring processes.

The newly introduced AI Summary block is the latest addition. Users can insert it by navigating to Insert > Building Blocks > AI Summary or by typing “@” followed by “AI summary.” Gemini will then generate a summary of the document, which can be inserted as-is or edited collaboratively. Additionally, the summary can be refreshed to reflect any updates made to the document over time.

This tool could be particularly useful for handling lengthy documents like meeting notes, technical reports, strategy plans, and marketing briefs; essentially, any content where a quick recap could save time. The rollout for the AI summary feature began on March 17, 2025, and Google notes that it may take up to April 7, 2025, for the feature to appear for all users.

The feature will be available to a range of Google Workspace users, including those on Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, Google One AI Premium, and customers with Gemini Education or Business add-ons. Unlike some previous AI-powered Workspace features, there is no admin control for this feature, meaning users won’t need special permissions to enable it.