If you have a Google account, there is a good chance you’ve already come across Gemini.
Perhaps you’ve seen the name in Gmail, noticed it on your phone, or simply wondered what that colourful little Gemini symbol is doing there.
Google’s AI assistant has grown considerably since it first appeared.
Today, Gemini can help with writing, research, brainstorming, images, files and much more. It can also connect with parts of Google’s ecosystem, including Gmail and Google Drive. (Google Help)
So the question for this week’s AI Toolbox is simple:
Is Gemini worth adding to your collection of AI tools?
What is Google Gemini?
Gemini is Google’s family of artificial intelligence models and the name of its AI assistant.
You can use Gemini through the web or mobile app, where you can type questions, speak to it, upload files or use photographs as part of a conversation. (Google Help)
And Gemini isn’t standing still.
Google recently introduced Gemini 3.7 Flash, describing it as its most intelligent “workhorse” model yet, particularly for coding and AI agents. (blog.google)
You don’t need to understand what all those model names mean to use Gemini, though.
Think of it simply as another AI assistant that you can give useful jobs to.
What can Gemini actually do?
Quite a bit.
✍️ Writing
Need help writing an email?
Want to improve a paragraph?
Struggling to find the right words for a blog post?
Gemini can help with drafting, rewriting, brainstorming and correcting text. Google also lists outlines, emails and blog posts among the things Gemini can help create. (Google Help)
For example, instead of asking:
“Write me an email.”
Try:
“Write a polite but firm email asking a company when I can expect my refund.”
The second instruction gives Gemini something useful to work with.
🔎 Research and learning
Gemini can explain complicated subjects, summarise information and help you explore a topic through a conversation.
It can also provide information in different formats, including lists, tables and charts. (Google Help)
Google has also built Deep Research into Gemini, giving users a way to conduct more extensive research rather than relying on a quick answer. (Google Help)
But there’s an important rule here:
Don’t assume an AI answer is automatically correct.
Google itself warns that Gemini can make mistakes and recommends checking important information. (Google Help)
📸 Understanding images
Gemini isn’t restricted to text.
You can give it a photograph and ask questions about what you’re looking at.
For example, you could take a photograph of a plant and ask what it appears to be, upload a document and ask for a summary, or show Gemini something you’re having difficulty understanding.
On supported devices, you can also use your camera as part of the interaction. (Google Help)
🎨 Creating images
Gemini can also generate images from written instructions.
That means you could describe the picture you have in mind rather than searching through hundreds of stock images.
For a blogger, for example:
“Create a wide image of a person working on a laptop while several AI tools appear as floating screens around them.”
Gemini can turn that description into an image.
📂 Working with files
You can upload files to Gemini and ask questions about them.
Imagine you’ve received a long document and don’t have time to read every page.
You could ask:
“Summarise this document in ten points and tell me what actions I need to take.”
That is a much more useful starting point than simply asking Gemini to “tell me about this document.”
Gemini can also work with information from services such as Gmail and Google Drive when the relevant connections and features are available. (Google Help)
And here’s where Gemini gets interesting: Google
This is probably the biggest reason to pay attention to Gemini.
Google already has an enormous collection of products that many people use every day.
Gmail.
Google Drive.
Google Docs.
Google Maps.
Google Flights.
Gemini can work alongside some of these services, depending on the account and features available. For example, Google says Gemini can summarise information from Gmail and Drive and help with planning using Maps and Flights. (Google Help)
Google has also been adding Gemini capabilities to Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive, including helping users write documents, create spreadsheets and presentations, and find information in files and emails. Some of these more advanced Workspace features depend on the Google AI plan or account type. (blog.google)
That integration could make Gemini particularly interesting if you already spend a lot of time inside Google’s ecosystem.
What about Gemini Spark?
This is one of the newer developments worth watching.
Google describes Gemini Spark as a more proactive personal AI agent that can help users navigate their digital life and take actions on their behalf, under their direction. (blog.google)
That’s a significant change in the way we think about an AI assistant.
Instead of simply asking:
“What’s the weather tomorrow?”
The long-term idea is that AI can help you actually get things done.
Of course, features and availability can vary, so it’s worth checking what is available on your particular account.
Is Gemini free?
You can use Gemini without paying for a premium Google AI plan, although some features and higher usage limits are reserved for paid plans or particular account types.
Some Gemini features can even be used without signing in, although signing in gives access to additional capabilities and saved activity. (Google Help)
For someone who is simply curious about Gemini, I’d start with the free access and see whether you actually use it before considering a subscription.
Who is Gemini for?
Gemini could be particularly useful for people who:
- ✍️ Write emails, articles or other documents
- 🔎 Research subjects they’re unfamiliar with
- 📚 Want help understanding complicated topics
- 📸 Work with photographs and images
- 📂 Have lots of documents to examine
- 🎨 Want to experiment with AI-generated images
- 📧 Spend a lot of time using Gmail
- 📁 Keep their work in Google Drive
- 🗺️ Use Google Maps and other Google services regularly
And you don’t need to be an AI expert.
Give it one real job and see what happens.
👍 The Pros
Easy to access – If you already have a Google account, getting started is straightforward.
Works with different types of information – Text, images, photographs and files can all be part of your interaction. (Google Help)
Strong Google integration – Gmail, Drive, Maps and other Google services can make Gemini particularly useful for Google users. (Google Help)
Image generation – You can create images from written descriptions.
Useful for research and learning – Gemini can explain, summarise and explore subjects with you.
Constantly developing – Google’s recent updates show that Gemini is becoming much more than a basic chatbot. (blog.google)
👎 The Cons
It can make mistakes – Always check important information.
Some of the best features are restricted – Availability and limits depend on your plan, account and location.
The Google ecosystem can be both a strength and a limitation – If you don’t use Google’s services much, some of Gemini’s advantages may not matter to you.
There’s a lot going on – With new features appearing regularly, it can take a little time to understand what Gemini can actually do.
🧐 My Verdict
Gemini is definitely worth trying.
What makes it interesting isn’t simply that Google has built another chatbot.
It’s the connection to Google’s wider ecosystem.
If Gmail, Drive, Maps and other Google services are already part of your daily routine, Gemini has the potential to become more useful than an AI assistant sitting completely separate from everything else you do.
But don’t take Google’s word for it.
Don’t take my word for it either.
Give Gemini a real task.
Ask it to improve an email.
Upload a document.
Take a photograph and ask a question about it.
Ask it to research something you’re genuinely interested in.
Then decide for yourself.
Final Thoughts
We’ve now looked at five different tools in the Striv AI Toolbox.
ChatGPT.
Perplexity AI.
Canva AI.
Claude.
And now Gemini.
Each one has its own personality, strengths and weaknesses.
That’s probably more useful than trying to find one AI tool that does everything.
The trick is finding the tool that fits the job in front of you.
Have you tried Google Gemini? What would you ask it to do first? Let us know in the comments.
Next week…
We’ll open the Toolbox again and take a look at another AI tool that could be worth having around.
But for now, there’s a simple experiment you can try:
Give Gemini one real job today.
You might be surprised by the result.
