Elevate Your Workspace: Enhanced AI Control and Gemini Personalisation

Google Workspace continues to evolve with significant advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, bringing new capabilities designed to streamline workflows and enhance security. For Google Workspace administrators, understanding these updates is crucial for effective management and support within their organisations. This post details two key AI-related updates: personalised Gemini instructions in Google Docs and the introduction of the comprehensive AI Control Centre.

Customising Gemini in Google Docs for Enhanced User Experience

Users of Google Docs can now set custom, persistent instructions for Gemini, allowing the AI to adapt to individual writing styles, tones, and formatting preferences. This enhancement means users no longer need to repeat specific directives in every interaction, saving time and fostering greater consistency in their generated content.

For example, a user can instruct Gemini to "Always respond in bullet points" or "Use a concise and professional tone for all my documents." This level of personalisation, currently limited to 1,000 active instructions per user, empowers individuals to tailor Gemini's assistance precisely to their needs.

From an administrative perspective, there are no specific controls for this feature. However, administrators should be aware of this capability to provide adequate user support and guidance on best practices. The gradual rollout for both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains commenced on 4 May 2026, with visibility expected within 15 days. This feature is available across various Business, Enterprise, and Education editions, as well as Google AI Plus and similar add-ons.

Introducing the AI Control Centre for Comprehensive Data Governance

A significant addition for administrators is the new AI Control Centre, located within the Admin Console. This capability simplifies the secure management of access for generative AI and agent actions to Workspace data. It provides organisations, particularly those with stringent data security and compliance requirements, with enhanced visibility and control over AI integration.

The AI Control Centre acts as a centralised hub, offering a holistic view of security and governance settings for AI. It enables more granular security, governance, and auditing for Gemini and other AI solutions accessing Workspace data. The Control Centre is structured around four core modules:

1. Monitor and control AI access: Offers immediate visibility into AI usage across the organisation, with direct links to Gemini usage reports and management settings for the Gemini app and other AI features in applications like Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Calendar, and Chat.
2. Manage security for AI products: Allows for precise authority over specific services, such as Gemini in Meet, ensuring that every AI application adheres to the organisation's data and security policies.
3. Manage fundamental security: Reinforces a secure environment for AI usage by bringing foundational protections, including classification labels, trust rules, and data protection rules, to prevent oversharing and data leaks even when AI is utilised.
4. Review privacy, abuse, and compliance standards: Directs administrators to information regarding Google's inherent safeguards, such as its "Secure by Design" architecture and the assurance that domain data is not used to train AI models.

This feature is available by default in the Google Admin Console under Generative AI > AI control centre; no manual opt-in is necessary. It is currently available for Enterprise Standard and Plus editions. Administrators can confidently deploy and manage AI within their environments, ensuring data privacy and compliance are maintained as AI capabilities expand across Google Workspace.