Google Chat adds Gemini assistant as Slack launches agent coding channels and Calendly enters meeting notes

Google Chat becomes a Gemini-powered command line for daily work

Google Chat is adding Ask Gemini in Chat on August 26, 2026, positioning the chat surface as a unified entry point into Workspace. The feature is described as a unified command line that draws on Workspace Intelligence to search Gmail, Drive, and Calendar, generate images and draft updates, summarise threads, schedule meetings, manage tasks, and structure conversations into individual sessions that can be revisited later. For knowledge workers, the change means fewer context switches between tabs: research, drafting, meeting prep, and follow-up actions are reachable from one conversation. The feature is being made available in the Shortcut area of Chat, according to the announcement.

Slack Code moves vibe-coding into the chat app

Slack launched Slack Code on August 20, 2026, turning the messaging client into a workspace where engineers and AI agents ship software together. Tagging a coding agent from any conversation spins up a project-specific code channel with dedicated tabs for the chat, the plan, code diffs, and a live preview of the output. When the work ends, the channel archives itself and the record remains as an audit log that teams can search later. Slack positions the format as a way to avoid bouncing between editor, terminal, and chat, with the diff view showing the familiar old-line, new-line comparison.

Calendly joins the meeting note-taking market with a system-audio transcription test

Calendly is moving into note-taking with a feature that joins meetings, captures audio and video, transcribes, and produces summaries, action items, and follow-up email drafts. The company is also testing a Granola-like mode that uses system audio for transcription, and it introduced an AI assistant called Callie that draws on the captured record. For practitioners, the expansion turns a scheduling tool into a post-meeting workflow, putting Calendly in competition with dedicated note-taking apps that already automate action items.

Google Meet adds a Room Display mode for shared screens

Google Meet on the web is gaining a Room Display mode in beta, aimed at Bring Your Own Device meeting rooms where a personal laptop drives a shared TV or projector. Once a user joins a call, the interface splits automatically: the external display shows a clean, edge-to-edge view of remote participant video tiles and shared presentations, while the laptop becomes a private controller for chat, captions, and personal layout. The change removes the manual drag-and-drop of browser windows that BYOD rooms have historically required.

Google Chat gives admins granular control over who can create spaces

Google Chat added a new admin setting that lets administrators restrict specific users or groups from creating spaces while still allowing 1:1 direct messages and group direct messages. The previous toggle was all-or-nothing across all conversation types; the new option exposes three levels — no restrictions, restrict space creation, and restrict all creation — and can be applied at the domain, Organizational Unit, or group level. Google cites educational institutions, frontline environments, and external vendor or contractor teams as the audiences that benefit from routing space creation through designated approval workflows.

Where this is heading for practitioners

The through-line across these announcements is the embedding of AI agents and assistants directly inside the apps where work already happens, rather than as a separate window. Readers should watch August 26, 2026, the published date for Ask Gemini in Chat, and the public beta of Slack Code for early adopter feedback. Calendly's note-taking and the Callie assistant remain in testing, so coverage of transcription accuracy and pricing will be worth tracking once general availability is announced.

For day-to-day tools, see the Break Reminder and the How to Keep a Work Laptop Screen On With a Tab guide for managing the screen time that comes with more in-app AI surfaces.