Google is Making AI in Gmail and Docs Free - But Raising the Price of Workspace

Google is bundling its AI features into Workspace at no extra charge while raising the base subscription price by $2 to $14 per user monthly, the company said Wednesday. The move eliminates the previous $20 monthly fee for Gemini Business plan that was required to access AI tools in Gmail, Docs and other Workspace apps.

sweet Jesus

[FudRucker]

nowci have find a non AI email client for android, this AI bullshit is just getting into everything and im not impressed with it, i am sure AI has its uses but i dont want it,

Re: sweet Jesus

[RegistrationIsDumb83]

I recommend K-9 Mail, an open source android client.

Re:

[FudRucker]

Just got it, works good, thanks :)

cut out the middleman

[bugs2squash]

If you type in a prompt like "write me a cover letter for a cashier job at walgreens" and AI spits out a bunch of text. Why no simply text over the prompt and save everyone the time of reading the meaningless blurb the AI overlords imagineer.

Re:

[White Yeti]

Shaka, when the walls fell.

Cash grab excuse

[dysmal]

Just like MS using copilot as an excuse to charge more for O364 licenses, Google is doing the same. They're pushing you to pay for a product that you haven't been sold on. They know that if they make it an optional "upgrade package", they'll be embarrassed by the slow adoption rate.

The beauty is that they'll charge you for use of the license and then charge advertisers for the ability to feed you ads.

Re:

[billybob2001]

charge more for O364 licenses

Similar to O365 - but accounting up front for a Crowdstrike outage.

just like cable tv they force channels that you do

[Joe_Dragon]

just like cable tv they force channels that you don't want. disney used to be an add on channel!

Free = 7 times as much

[nightflameauto]

We're adding a feature you didn't request and most are reluctant to use FREE OF CHARGE. Oh, the base rate is increasing by seven times. You're welcome.

At what point will users revolt against the ever more intrusive AI onslaught? I had to drop two email clients on my workstations already at home due to this bullshit. On top of that, I had to drop two of my editing tools when they added "AI helpers" to the base package, that even if you run the local version of the software will automatically upload your entire manuscript to their servers to get AI enabled responses. I don't want my ever thought uploaded to your fucking data aggregators, assholes. That's *WHY* I don't use cloud services to do this shit.

There needs to be a line in the sand somewhere. I've drawn mine, but it seems like the vast majority are just sailing along with this shit and letting it happen. Fuck these data rapists. It's getting to be completely stupid, increasing pricing on something for features you don't want, that will ultimately be used to send you still more ads. Good grief.

Re:

[YuppieScum]

I quite agree - more rent and less privacy seems to be the mantra of the moment.

Regarding your editing tools - if they don't otherwise require network access, then run them in a VM with the network stack disabled and a host folder mapped to a VM drive letter to get data in and out.

Or, if you're feeling particularly limber, try this [stackexchange.com].

welcome to cable tv! just wait for ESPN+ and disne

[Joe_Dragon]

welcome to cable tv! just wait for ESPN+ and disney+ to be forced into all internet subs at ISP's that still have tv systems.

TRANSLATION

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

"Google is Making AI in Gmail and Docs Free - But Raising the Price of Workspace "

TRANSLATION: "Google Is Forcing You To Use AI In All Of Its Products Whether You Like It Or Not"