Duet AI is an exciting new feature in Google Docs that uses artificial intelligence to help you write and refine documents. Here’s how to make the most of Duet AI to boost your productivity.
Get Started with Duet AI
To use Duet AI, you first need to enable it:
- Open Google Docs in your browser
- Go to Tools > Preferences
- Check the box for Automatically detect Markdown
- Click OK to save your settings
Now Duet AI is active and ready to help you write!
Use “Help Me Write” to Generate Drafts
The “Help me write” feature is perfect when you need AI assistance drafting a document:
- Open a blank Google Doc
- Click the prompt box with Help me write
- Type a detailed prompt describing what you want to write
- Duet AI will suggest draft text based on your prompt
Tips:
- Provide lots of context in your initial prompt
- You can ask Duet AI to write all types of documents like letters, blog posts, reports, essays, and more
Refine Existing Text
Duet AI also lets you select existing text and ask for suggestions to refine it:
- Summarize – Shorten the text while preserving the key points
- Elaborate – Add more detail to flesh out the text
- Paraphrase – Rewrite the text using different vocabulary and phrasing
This is great for improving first drafts or adapting text for different audiences.
Use Proofread to Fix Errors
The Proofread feature identifies grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style errors in your text:
- Click Proofread in the Duet AI sidebar
- Review each suggestion and decide whether to accept or ignore it
- Errors will be corrected automatically
Proofread improves the quality of your writing and ensures polished, professional documents.
Create Visual Aids
In addition to text, you can ask Duet AI to generate charts, graphs, and other images to illustrate key points:
- Type a prompt describing the visual you want
- Duet AI provides an image you can insert into your document
Visuals make your documents more engaging and easier to understand.
Customize Your Experience
Tailor Duet AI to your needs by adjusting settings:
- Choose a formality level like casual or formal
- Set a tone like conversational or professional
- Specify an audience like clients, team members, or executives
Custom settings result in suggestions that fit your document and readers.
Best Practices
Follow these tips to get the most out of Duet AI:
- Provide detailed prompts up front
- Review all suggestions carefully before accepting
- Be specific when customizing tone, formality, audience, etc.
- Use Proofread as the last step before finalizing a draft
- Try different inputs and prompts if you don’t get the desired output
With practice, you’ll learn how to effectively guide Duet AI to boost your productivity.
Limitations
While powerful, Duet AI has some key limitations to be aware of:
- It may suggest incorrect or nonsensical text
- Biases can be reflected in its writing
- Creative writing is more difficult for AI than factual summaries
- You need strong writing skills to carefully refine its suggestions
Understand its capabilities and thoughtfully review its work.
The Future with Duet AI
Duet AI represents just the beginning of advanced AI integration into Google Docs. We can expect more enhancements over time like:
- Expanded language support
- Ability to import/export Markdown
- Tighter integration with other Workspace apps
- More fluent conversational interface
As the technology progresses, Duet AI will become an increasingly beneficial writing companion for Google Docs users.
The key is learning how to provide effective prompts to guide Duet AI to understand your goals. Follow these best practices to maximize productivity. With thoughtful oversight, Duet AI can significantly enhance your documents while saving you time and effort.
