Google Develops Its Own Desktop Agent to Rival Cowork

Google is adding a new Agent tab to Gemini Enterprise, signaling a move to turn the existing chat-centric UI into a task execution workspace. This tab includes New Task and Inbox, and once a task is started, a right-side panel lets users configure Goal, Agents, Connected apps, Files, and a Require human review toggle.

This setup resembles agent-centric products like Claude Cowork more than a simple conversational chatbot. It's designed for the model to carry out multi-step work based on goals, tools, connected services, and files, showing that Google is expanding Gemini into a broader work platform.

The Require human review option in particular is a notable clue. Some tasks may require human confirmation before execution, which is interpreted as a signal that Google is thinking beyond browser-based actions toward desktop-level task handling.

At the same time, Google continues to refine Projects and Skills as well. These changes aren't isolated but appear to be bundled into one large rollout, and the trend of restructuring Gemini into a full-fledged task platform centered on agents, persistent workflows, and connected tools is becoming increasingly clear.

Given that Google is also reportedly working on an AI Studio desktop app, the key question going forward is whether these efforts will remain separate products or eventually merge into one. This is still speculative, but one thing is clear: Google is hurrying to prepare a response to OpenAI's and Anthropic's desktop and agent products.