Google Docs finally picks up one of Gmail’s best AI-powered features

Smart Reply now suggests automated responses in the Google Docs comments.

What you need to know

• Google announced the addition of Smart Reply to Google Docs.
• The new capability allows you to quickly respond to comments in Docs using suggested replies.
• It only supports comment threads in English for now.

Google rolled out Smart Reply to YouTube last year in an effort to help creators engage with their audience more efficiently by responding to comments using suggested responses. It’s a handy feature that debuted in Gmail a few years ago, and Google Docs has now received the same treatment.

Suggested replies have started showing up below the reply box in Google Docs comments so you can save time responding to feedback from your colleagues, for example. Of course, you can edit the suggestion after you’ve picked one or simply send it as is. If you’re not confident in a suggested response, you can just reject it.

Smart Reply in Docs will be turned on by default. But if you’re not comfortable using it, you can disable the feature by heading over to the Preferences section within the Tools menu. For now, suggested responses are available in English comment threads.

The latest release follows the launch of Smart Compose and autocorrect features to Docs earlier this year, expanding the presence of Google’s AI capabilities in one of the best Android apps. These machine learning-powered features rely on context to provide relevant suggestions.

Smart Reply has started rolling out to some Workspace users as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers. It should go live for everyone in the next two weeks.