Google has folded generative AI into several products that small businesses already use or can access at little or no cost. Four of them, Gemini in Gmail, custom Gems, the Stitch design tool and AI avatars in Google Vids, cover a large share of the routine writing, design and video work that small teams otherwise do by hand. Here is what each one does and where it fits.
Gemini in Gmail
Google has built Gemini directly into Gmail. From the inbox, users can ask the assistant to draft a full email, summarize a long thread in a few sentences, or propose a professional reply to a customer question. For a business that fields repeated questions about membership, features or support, this removes much of the typing: open the message, select the Gemini option, describe what the reply should say and edit the result.
Availability depends on the account. Some features are included for consumer Gmail users, while others require a Google Workspace plan or a Google AI subscription. Replies should still be checked for accuracy before they are sent.
Gems: custom assistants in Gemini
Gems are customized versions of the Gemini assistant that users set up for a specific recurring task, such as writing a newsletter in a particular voice, drafting social media posts or brainstorming marketing ideas. Instructions are written once and the Gem applies them in every later conversation, so the user does not have to re-explain context each time. Gems are available in the Gemini app, including on the free tier, and can be shared within a team.
Stitch: text to interface designs
Stitch, an experimental tool from Google Labs, generates user interface designs for websites and mobile apps from a written description or a sketch. It produces the layout, color scheme and components, and can export the design as HTML and CSS or to Figma for further work. Google positions it as a way to speed up design ideation: several variations of a landing page can be produced and compared in minutes rather than waiting days for a first draft. The generated code is a starting point and typically needs developer attention before it is production ready.
AI avatars in Google Vids
Google Vids, the video creation tool in Google Workspace, can generate presenter videos from a script using AI avatars. The user writes or pastes a script, picks an avatar and the tool produces a video with synthesized speech and animated delivery. Google has since expanded the feature, including personalized avatars based on the user. It suits onboarding videos, training clips, product explainers and marketing content for people who prefer not to appear on camera or lack time to record. AI avatars are tied to paid Workspace plans, so this is the one tool in the group that is not broadly available at no cost.
Using the four together
The tools reinforce each other. A Gem can draft content and scripts, Vids can turn the scripts into videos, Gemini in Gmail can handle follow-up correspondence with viewers and Stitch can produce landing pages to test. For a small business, that amounts to a basic marketing and communications pipeline built from software it may already pay for. The usual caveats apply: AI output needs human review, and generated text, designs and videos should be checked for errors and for consistency with the business’s own voice.
