Use the AI function in Google Sheets (Workspace Labs)

Important: This article refers to Google Workspace Labs, which is a trusted tester program for users to try new AI features. To check if you have access to Workspace Labs features, open a spreadsheet on Google Sheets. On the right, find Summarize this table . Learn where you can use Workspace Labs features.

You can use the AI function to:

• Generate text.
• Summarize information.
• Categorize information.
• Analyze sentiment.

Use the AI function in Sheets

You can use the AI function to:

• Generate text: To generate text tailored to your data, Google Workspace with Gemini uses relevant information from your sheet.
• Summarize information: To help you understand your data, Google Workspace with Gemini analyzes the content of your spreadsheet and extracts important key takeaways.
• Categorize information: To help you detect patterns, Google Workspace with Gemini categorizes your data into groups. This includes sentiment analysis.

1. On your computer, open a spreadsheet from Google Sheets.
2. In a cell, enter an AI function.
   • For example: =AI(“Generate slogan for event in 10 words or less”, A2)
   • Or, at the top of the spreadsheet, click Insert Function AI.
3. Select the cell or cells with an AI function.
4. Click Generate and Insert.
5. Optional: To refresh output, click Refresh and Insert.

Tip: When you click “Generate and Insert” or “Refresh and Insert,” generated content is inserted and the cell edit is attributed to you in version history.

Add an AI column to a table

When you add an AI column to a table, its first non-header row automatically shows the AI function. After you enter a specific function in that row, you can autofill the rest of the column with the same function and generate entries.

To add an AI column, at the top right of the last column in the table, click Insert AI column right .

Check some examples

• Generate new text
  • =AI(“Generate slogan for event in 10 words or less”, A2)
  • =AI("Create an email to the reviewer addressing specific items in their reviews.", A2:G2)
  • =AI("develop a list of keywords for the job title based on the summary of duties.", A2:C2)
• Summarize input cell or range
  • =AI("For the customer, write a one sentence summary of their feedback.", A2:D2)
  • =AI("You are the owner of a pet sitting business. Write a 2 sentence summary for the customer about their pet’s last stay. Be a little funny.", F2)
  • =AI("List in bullet points the main themes of the book summary.", D2)
• Categorize inputs based on given definitions or generic categories
  • =AI("Classify the preview as either a spam email or not a spam email.", D2)
  • =AI("Categorize the customer inquiry as a compliment, exchange request, or return request.",C2)
  • =AI("Classify the restaurant by which New York City borough it belongs to. Use the neighborhood to help.", A2:C2)
• Analyze sentiment
  • =AI("Classify the sentiment of the realtor analysis.”, D2)
  • =AI("Perform sentiment analysis on the emails sent by the customers to the barbershop.", C2)
  • =AI("Classify the body of the email, as either positive, negative, or neutral.", D2)

Tip: If you want to refer to two ranges that aren’t contiguous, you can use concatenation in the prompt. However, if there’s a change in the data in ranges that are part of the prompt, you don’t get a prompt to refresh the data.

For example, if you use the function =AI("Find the major themes in the customer feedback of "&B2&" using the comments: "&D2&""), when B2 or D2 change, you need to manually determine when to refresh the data.

Syntax

AI(“prompt”,[optional range])

• Prompt: A specific prompt that describes your desired action.
• Range: This is optional. It’s the range that the prompt refers to when it generates data.

Give feedback about the AI function

Google Workspace with Gemini is constantly learning and may not be able to support your request.

If you get a suggestion that’s inaccurate or that you feel is unsafe, you can let us know by submitting feedback. Your feedback can help improve AI-assisted Workspace features and broader Google efforts in AI.

Because feedback may be human readable, do not submit data that contains personal, confidential, or sensitive information.

1. At the bottom right of the generated text, click Good suggestion or Bad suggestion .
2. In the pop-up window, you can select the data you want to share along with your feedback, which includes:
   • Prompts
   • Ranges
     • Only the referenced cells are collected and their context isn't shared.
   • Outputs
3. If you don’t want to share certain data, you can uncheck it.
   • If you select Bad suggestion , to select the issue you found and enter additional feedback, click Next.
   • If you select Good suggestion , click Submit.

To provide general feedback on this feature, at the top, click Help Help Sheets improve.

To report a legal issue, create a request.

Learn about the limitations of the AI functions

• Responses are limited to text.
• The AI function doesn’t have access to your entire spreadsheet or other files in your Google Drive.
  • To provide data or context to your prompt, add the data to your current spreadsheet and use the optional range argument. This is highly recommended to improve output quality.
• You can’t undo or redo your function.
  • You can regenerate your output instead.
• You can’t have more than one function with the same name in Sheets. If you build a custom function with the name “=AI,” the custom function remaps to the Sheets AI function.
• Embedded AI functions aren’t supported.
  • For example: =IF(AI(“sentiment analysis”, A2)),”negative”,0)
• If “AI function not available” shows, it could mean that:
  • You're not a participant in the Workspace Labs program or you’re not on a Workspace plan with access to AI functions.
  • You don’t have access to the AI function because of your Admin settings or your language setting, which should be set to English. Learn how to change your language setting.
• The AI function has short term and long term generation limits. If you reach a long term limit, you temporarily can’t click “Generate.” You can wait for 24 hours and then try again.
• You can select multiple cells with AI functions and generate outputs; however, only the first 200 selected cells with AI functions will be generated. You can wait for the generation to complete and select more cells to generate outputs.
• You can’t generate content with the AI function if you access Sheets with other cloud storage providers like Box, Dropbox, or Egnyte with Google Drive. Learn how to use Google Docs, Sheets & Slides with Box, Dropbox, or Egnyte.

Turn off the AI function

To turn off any of the features on Google Workspace Labs, you must exit Workspace Labs. If you exit, you can’t rejoin Workspace Labs and permanently lose access to all Workspace Labs features.

Learn how to exit Workspace Labs.

If you use AI functions after you exit Workspace Labs:

• The error “AI function not available” shows.
• You can’t generate output with AI functions.

Related resources

• Get started with Google Workspace Labs
• Collaborate with Gemini in Google Sheets (Workspace Labs)
• Google Workspace Labs Privacy Notice and Terms for Personal Accounts