Casual User Path
beginner 12 min read Feb 24, 2026

AI Already in Your Tools

AI in Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Notion

#ai-in-your-tools #topic

AI Already In Your Tools

You might already be paying for AI features and not know it. Most major productivity tools have added AI capabilities over the past two years, often bundled into existing subscriptions. This section shows you where to find them, how to turn them on, and what to actually do with them.

If you’re new to AI, start with the On-Ramp to find your entry point.

For help deciding whether these built-in tools are enough or when to consider standalone options, see How to Think About AI Tools.

The pattern is the same across tools: look for a sparkle icon, a star, or an “AI” or “Copilot” button in the toolbar. If you don’t see it, check your settings.

Google Workspace (Gemini) {#google-workspace}

If your company uses Google Workspace, you probably have Gemini access already. It shows up as a side panel in Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drive, Calendar, and Meet.

How to Turn It On

If you don’t see the Gemini icon:

  1. Open any Google app (Gmail, Docs, etc.)
  2. Look for the sparkle icon (top right on desktop, bottom tab on mobile)
  3. If missing, go to Settings (gear icon) > See all settings
  4. Look for “Google Workspace extensions” or ” Gemini”
  5. Toggle on “Gemini” or “Google AI”

Admin approval needed? If your workspace is managed by an organization, IT may need to enable Gemini in the Admin Console first.

What It Costs

  • Business Starter: 5 prompts per day free
  • Business Standard and above: Full Gemini included
  • Enterprise: Included with higher usage limits
  • Personal Google accounts: Gemini is free but separate; Gemini Advanced ($19.99/month) adds deeper Workspace integration

Check your actual plan. Many people pay for Business Standard and don’t realize Gemini is included. For guidance on when paid tiers are worth it and how to think about AI ROI, see Cost Management & ROI.

Where to Find It

In Gmail:

  • Side panel: Click the sparkle icon (top right)
  • In compose: “Help me write” button
  • Thread actions: Summarize this thread (top of email)

In Google Docs:

  • “Help me write” button (toolbar)
  • Side panel for summaries and questions about the document
  • Right-click text for rewrite, shorten, expand options

In Sheets:

  • “Help me organize” button (bottom right)
  • Formula assistance: type ”=” and describe what you want in plain English
  • Side panel for data insights

In Slides:

  • [“Help me visualize” button for image generation]
  • Text generation and editing in side panel

In Calendar:

  • Side panel helps find meeting times and describe events

In Meet:

  • “Take notes for me” button (automatically generates meeting summary and action items)

Three Concrete Use Cases

Use Case 1: Draft Difficult Emails in Gmail

  1. Open Gmail and click Compose
  2. Click the “Help me write” button
  3. Describe what you need:
    • “Write a polite follow-up email to a client who hasn’t responded to my last two emails about the invoice. We’ve worked together for two years, the relationship is good, and I don’t want to damage it. The invoice is for $4,200 and is 45 days overdue.”
  4. Gemini will draft a complete email
  5. Refine it: “Make it warmer but keep it professional,” or “Add a payment link”
  6. Edit manually before sending

Why it works: Gmail can see the existing thread context if you’re replying, so Gemini understands the history.

Use Case 2: Turn Messy Notes into a Clean Document in Google Docs

  1. Open a new Google Doc
  2. Paste your rough notes, bullet points, or transcript
  3. Select the text
  4. Click the sparkle icon or open the Gemini side panel
  5. Prompt: “Turn these notes into a professional proposal. Use headings, bullet points where appropriate, and a clear call-to-action at the end. The audience is potential clients who don’t know our product yet.”
  6. Edit the output manually to add your voice

Alternative approach: Start with a blank doc, open the Gemini side panel, and describe what you want: “Create a project proposal for a website redesign for a local restaurant. Budget is $8,000, timeline is 6 weeks. Include sections for scope, timeline, pricing, and next steps.”

Use Case 3: Analyze Data Without Formulas in Google Sheets

  1. Open your spreadsheet
  2. Click the “Help me organize” button (bottom right)
  3. Prompt in plain English:
    • “Add a column that calculates the profit margin on each row as a percentage”
    • “Create a pivot table showing total sales by region”
    • “Which product category has the lowest average rating?”
    • “Format this as a table with alternating row colors and bold headers”

Why it works: You don’t need to memorize spreadsheet formulas. Describe the goal, Gemini generates the syntax.

What to Watch Out For

  • Gemini has access to your document content, but it doesn’t automatically know your organization’s specific context
  • Drafts usually need manual editing for tone and accuracy
  • In Sheets, always double-check formulas - understanding what it produced helps you catch errors
  • Workspace administrators can see Gemini usage and may have access logs

Microsoft 365 Copilot {#microsoft-365}

If you use Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook at work, there’s a good chance your organization has access to Copilot. Microsoft has been aggressively pushing Copilot into enterprise accounts.

How to Turn It On

If you don’t see the Copilot icon:

  1. Open any Microsoft 365 app (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
  2. Look for the Copilot icon (usually a colorful sparkle or “Copilot” in the ribbon)
  3. If missing, go to File > Account > Manage Settings
  4. Look for “Copilot” or “Microsoft 365 Copilot” and enable it

No Copilot option? Your organization may not have a Copilot license. Check with your IT department - many companies purchased Copilot but didn’t roll it out to all employees.

What It Costs

  • Copilot Pro (individual): $20/month add-on to Microsoft 365 Personal or Family
  • Copilot for Business: $30/user/month (enterprise licensing)
  • Included in some Microsoft 365 Business Premium and Enterprise plans (check your specific plan)

The reality: Copilot is expensive for individual users, but if you’re using it through work, your employer is already paying for it.

Where to Find It

In Word:

  • Ribbon tab: “Copilot” button
  • Right-click text for rewrite, summarize, or expand options
  • Sidebar chat: Ask questions about your document

In Excel:

  • “Analyze data” button (Home tab)
  • Formula bar: Describe what you want in plain English
  • Copilot can generate formulas, pivot tables, and charts

In PowerPoint:

  • “Copilot” button in the ribbon
  • “Create presentation from file” - upload a document, get a full deck
  • Image generation and slide reformatting

In Outlook:

  • ” summarize this conversation” at the top of email threads
  • “Draft with Copilot” when composing
  • Suggested replies based on email content

In Teams:

  • Copilot can summarize meetings you missed and extract action items

Three Concrete Use Cases

Use Case 1: Rewrite an Email to Match Your Tone in Outlook

  1. Open Outlook and start a reply or new email
  2. Write a rough version - just get the information down, don’t worry about polish
  3. Highlight your draft
  4. Click the “Copilot” button that appears
  5. Prompt: “Rewrite this to be more concise but keep it friendly”
  6. Not right? Try again: “Make it more formal,” “Add a call to action,” “Shorten to under three sentences”
  7. Edit manually before sending

Advanced trick: After writing a few emails you like, save one and tell Copilot: “Match the tone of this email in future drafts.”

Use Case 2: Turn a Document into a Presentation in PowerPoint

  1. Open PowerPoint
  2. Click “Copilot” > “Create presentation from file”
  3. Upload your report, proposal, or article
  4. Copilot generates a complete deck with slides, headings, and suggested images
  5. Edit the output - review every slide for accuracy and tone
  6. Use Copilot to refine individual slides: “Turn this into a bulleted list,” “Add a visual metaphor for this concept”

Why it works: The structure is already in your document. Copilot mostly reformats and breaks it into slides. You still need to review for accuracy.

Use Case 3: Understand Data Without Excel Expertise

  1. Open your spreadsheet in Excel
  2. Click “Analyze data” on the Home tab
  3. Copilot opens a sidebar with insights and suggested visualizations
  4. Ask questions in plain English:
    • “Which month had the highest sales?”
    • “Show me a breakdown by region”
    • “Are there any outliers or unusual patterns?”
  5. Copilot generates charts and highlights patterns automatically

Alternative: In the formula bar, type what you want: “Calculate the year-over-year growth rate for each row.” Copilot generates the formula and explains it.

What to Watch Out For

  • Copilot has access to your Microsoft 365 data - emails, documents, chats
  • Your organization may have Copilot usage logs and monitoring enabled
  • Generated content needs fact-checking, especially for sensitive topics
  • Copilot in Excel can suggest formulas, but understanding them is still on you

For platform-specific privacy settings and what not to share with AI, see Privacy and Security.

Notion AI {#notion}

Notion is a workspace tool - documents, databases, wikis, project tracking - and its AI integration is one of the most seamless. If you use Notion for work or personal organization, Notion AI is worth understanding.

How to Turn It On

  1. Open Notion
  2. Open any page or database
  3. Look for the “Ask AI” button (usually a six-pointed star icon)
  4. If you don’t see it, go to Settings & Members (sidebar) > Plans
  5. Notion AI is available as an add-on or included in Business and Enterprise plans
  6. Free and Plus plans get 20 free AI responses to try it

What It Costs

  • Free and Plus plans: 20 trial responses, then $10/user/month add-on
  • Business plan ($20/user/month): Notion AI included
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing with AI included

The bottom line: If you’re on a Business plan, you’re already paying for Notion AI. Use it. For guidance on when paid tiers are worth it and how to think about AI ROI, see Cost Management & ROI.

Where to Find It

In any Notion page:

  • Highlight text and click “Ask AI” for rewrite, summarize, expand
  • Type “/ai” to open the AI assistant
  • “Ask AI” button in the bottom-right of pages

In databases:

  • Autofill: AI can populate database fields based on context
  • Find action: Ask questions about your entire workspace

Notion Q&A:

  • Search bar at the top becomes an AI chat about your workspace
  • Ask: “What decisions did we make about the product roadmap last month?”
  • Get direct quotes with source links

Three Concrete Use Cases

Use Case 1: Turn Meeting Notes into Actionable Items

  1. Paste raw meeting notes into a Notion page
  2. Select the notes
  3. Click “Ask AI”
  4. Prompt: “Extract action items, decisions made, and open questions. Format as a table with columns for item, owner, and due date if mentioned.”
  5. AI generates a clean table
  6. You can ask follow-ups: “Which items don’t have an owner yet?”

Why it works: Meeting notes are usually messy. Notion AI parses structure and context, then reformats into something usable.

Use Case 2: Write Consistently Across a Team Workspace

  1. Create a page with your brand voice guidelines or past content you like
  2. Tell Notion AI: “Match the tone of this document in future writing”
  3. When drafting new content in any page, prompt: “Write this in our brand voice - professional but conversational, avoid jargon, focus on benefits over features”
  4. The AI draws context from your workspace

Advanced trick: Create a “Brand Guidelines” page with examples, then reference it in prompts: “Write a product description following the guidelines in /Brand Guidelines.”

Use Case 3: Search Your Entire Workspace with Context

  1. Use the search bar at the top of Notion
  2. Switch to “Ask AI” mode
  3. Ask questions that span multiple documents:
    • “What did we decide about pricing strategy?”
    • “Show me all competitive research from the last three months”
    • “What are the open questions about the launch?”
  4. Notion AI returns answers with source links to specific pages

Why it works: Regular search finds keywords. Notion Q&A understands meaning and connects information across your entire workspace.

What to Watch Out For

  • Notion AI can read all workspace content it has access to
  • Workspace owners can see AI usage
  • Generated content needs review for accuracy and tone
  • The “Autofill” feature in databases is powerful but can hallucinate if context is thin

For platform-specific privacy settings and what not to share with AI, see Privacy and Security.

Canva Magic Studio {#canva}

Canva is a design tool for non-designers, and its AI features are particularly strong for visual content. If you create social media posts, presentations, or marketing materials, Magic Studio is worth exploring.

How to Turn It On

  1. Open Canva
  2. Magic Studio features are integrated throughout - look for “Magic” buttons
  3. If you see upgrade prompts, you may need Canva Pro or Team for full access
  4. Most AI features work with a free account but with monthly limits

What It Costs

  • Free: Around 50 AI uses per month
  • Pro ($12.99/month or $119.99/year): Around 500 AI uses per month
  • Teams and Enterprise: Higher limits and admin controls

The bottom line: Free is enough to experiment. Pro is worth it if you use Canva regularly for work.

Where to Find It

Magic Write: Text generation for captions, headlines, copy - appears in text editing panels

Magic Media: Generate images from text prompts - sidebar in the editor

Magic Edit: Modify specific parts of an image - select an area, describe the change

Magic Switch: Resize designs for different formats - button in the editor

Background Remover: One-click background removal - Effects panel

Magic Expand: Extend images beyond their original borders

Three Concrete Use Cases

Use Case 1: Generate Social Media Content at Scale

  1. Open Canva and create a design for one platform (say, an Instagram post)
  2. Add your text and visuals
  3. Click “Magic Switch” in the top-right
  4. Select all the formats you need: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, email header
  5. Canva automatically resizes and adjusts your design for each format
  6. Review each version and tweak manually

Why it works: Manually resizing for different platforms is tedious. Magic Switch handles the layout adjustments, you handle the quality control.

Use Case 2: Create Custom Images Without a Designer

  1. Open a Canva design
  2. Click “Magic Media” in the sidebar
  3. Describe what you want: “A minimalist illustration of a plant growing out of a laptop, flat design style, green and blue color palette”
  4. Generate options and pick the best one
  5. Use “Magic Edit” to refine specific elements: “Change the laptop color to navy blue”
  6. Add your own text and branding

Prompting tip: Be specific about style, mood, and colors. “Professional photo of a coffee shop” gives different results than “cozy, warm-toned photo of a coffee shop with golden hour lighting.”

Use Case 3: Write Marketing Copy in Your Brand Voice

  1. Create a design and click any text element
  2. Click “Magic Write” in the text editing toolbar
  3. Prompt: “Write five catchy Instagram captions for a product launch. Our product is a productivity app for freelancers. Tone should be energetic but not hype-y. Emphasize time-saving and focus.”
  4. Magic Write generates options
  5. Pick your favorite and edit manually
  6. Use Magic Write to generate hashtags: “Suggest 10 relevant hashtags for this post”

Refinement trick: If the tone is off, tell Magic Write: “More casual,” “More professional,” “Shorter,” or “Include a call to action.”

What to Watch Out For

  • AI-generated images may have inconsistencies or weird artifacts - zoom in and check before publishing
  • Magic Write copy needs review for accuracy and brand alignment
  • Usage limits reset monthly; track usage if you’re on the free plan
  • Canva’s AI features are powerful but can’t replace a human designer for complex or high-stakes visual work

For platform-specific privacy settings and what not to share with AI, see Privacy and Security.

Before You Pay for a Standalone AI Tool {#before-you-pay}

The main point of this section: check what you already have.

If you pay for:

  • Business Standard or higher Google Workspace → You have Gemini
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium or Enterprise → You may have Copilot
  • Notion Business → You have Notion AI
  • Canva Pro → You have 500+ Magic Studio uses per month

These aren’t replacements for dedicated AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, or Gemini standalone. The specialized tools have deeper features, better reasoning, and more flexible interfaces. But the AI built into your existing tools is surprisingly capable, and you’re already paying for it.

Start there. Use what’s integrated. When you hit limitations - context windows, advanced reasoning, coding, complex research - that’s when standalone tools become worth the extra subscription.