The News, Explained
On November 5, Google announced a Gemini feature for analyzing responses in Google Forms. When a form creator requests it in the Responses tab, Gemini writes and runs Python code to calculate counts and percentages and look for relationships between answers. It then suggests what to do next. In a hypothetical event survey, how many people chose a time slot is a calculation. Holding the next event at that time is a suggestion. Source Source
The new analysis requires at least 12 responses and three questions. Forms in quiz mode are excluded. If the form is linked to a spreadsheet, you need access to that sheet. The help center lists a separate feature that summarizes open-text answers for an individual question when there are three to 200 responses. Source
Work and school accounts need an eligible plan. Google’s announcement includes Business Standard and Plus, Enterprise Standard and Plus, and Education Plus, among others. To access Gemini in Workspace apps, smart features and personalization need to be on. Personal accounts also need an eligible Google AI plan. Source Source
The start date depends on how an organization receives Workspace updates. Rapid Release organizations began receiving the feature on November 2, and Scheduled Release organizations start on November 19. Google says it may take up to 15 days from each start date for the feature to appear. Source
OYOPICK’s Take
If an event survey suggests that people who prefer Fridays were more satisfied, we would first look at how many people preferred Friday and how many skipped the satisfaction question. The same percentage can carry different weight when people leave that question blank. Reviewing the analysis could save time when answers span several questions. Changing the event time still calls for considering who responded and what the organizers can accommodate. Source