In late May I had the chance to visit Google’s New York City offices for a sneak peak at some new generative AI features coming to Chromebook PLUS devices later this year.

As a full-time Chromebook user, I’m always excited when ChromeOS gets unique features that aren’t available on other operating systems. Google should continue strengthening the connection between its services like Gmail, Drive, and Gemini with the ChromeOS operating system. Integrated features like this that make Chromebooks feel more powerful and polished.

Let’s take a look at the latest generative AI features coming to ChromeOS.

Coming to Chromebook Plus Devices Only!

The new AI features listed below will only be available for Chromebook Plus devices. Google introduced the “Plus” line of Chromebooks last fall. These devices are more powerful and designed for professional use. But don’t confuse “powerful” with “pricey.” Chromebook Plus devices start at less than $500.

Chromebook Plus devices are perfect for teachers who need a larger screen, faster processor to run ALL the tabs, a full size, back-lit keyboard, and exceptional build quality.

The two Chromebooks I use right now, the Asus CX4500 and the HP x360, are both plus devices. I won’t purchase anything that isn’t a plus device.

Acer, Asus, and HP are all announcing new and refreshed plus devices that will be available this year. If your district is giving Chromebooks to teachers, make sure they are plus devices!

Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s check out the new AI features that will be rolling out to these plus devices.

Related post: Google Gemini for Education has landed!

Generative AI Wallpapers and Meet Backgrounds

You can now use Gemini to generate wallpaper for your Chromebook desktop or your next Google Meet session. I have to admin that I give very little thought to my desktop wallpaper, so I’m probably not the target market for this feature!

But, if you’re into this type of thing…enjoy!

Help Me Write…anywhere!

The next feature is something I will definitely use. Gemini’s writing assistant will soon be available in any text field when you use a plus Chromebook.

This is similar to a feature for Gmail and Docs that you may have access to on your personal Gmail account. What makes this update unique is the ability to generate instant ideas and writing improvements without leaving your task. No need to pop open Gemini or Chat GPT in a separate tab. Simply highlight some text and use the right-click menu to open the “help me write” window. You will see options to shorten, expand, rephrase, etc.

This feature will only be available for users who are 18+ and can be managed through the Google Admin Console.

I would use this feature to rephrase a delicate email to a parent, simplify the language of a classroom assignments, or convert my Google Classroom announcement into a Taylor Swift song.

Help me read

Not interested in reading that long article? No problem! Gemini can now summarize information for you in a few clicks. What’s even more interesting is that you can also ask Gemini questions about the page you are viewing. It’s like having your own personal AI assistant!

This feature will be rolling out to Chromebook plus devices later this summer.

Magic Editor on Google Photos

The last big AI enhancement that was announced in New York is a collection of generative AI photo editing features for Google Photos. The magic editor includes the ability to erase people and objects from a busy photo, move subjects within the photo, and some special color adjustments. These features are already available on select Pixel phones and soon they will be available through the Google Photo Android app on your Plus Chromebook!

I used the magic editor features to clean up some of our family photos and it is awesome!

Pricing and Availability

These new generative AI features will be available for new and existing Chromebook Plus devices for 12 months at no charge. After that, Gmail users can upgrade to the Gemini Google 1 tier for $19.99/month.

Related Post: Google Workspace for Education: Upgrade options

Teachers on managed Chromebook Plus devices will receive access to these new AI features based on policy settings configured in the Google Admin console. Your IT department will need to enable these features using new admin controls that will be available later this year.