Gemini agent is Google Cloud's AI agent for work: you set an objective and it plans and does the job across Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Slack. It is for businesses, not personal accounts. As of 18 October 2026 it is in private preview for a select group of customers, with no UK date. Google says it costs nothing extra for Gemini Enterprise customers (priced by quote), though usage can be billed. Know this first: it can hand work to Anthropic's Claude models, which Google doesn't offer in its UK data region.
Key facts
- What it is: A cloud AI agent for work that takes objectives and runs long, multi-step tasks
- Made by: Google Cloud (Alphabet)
- Price: Not published as of 18 October 2026; no extra charge for Gemini Enterprise customers; Claude bills pay-as-you-go and usage charges are expected
- Free plan or trial: No; a 30-day Gemini Enterprise Plus trial exists, but may not include the agent
- Runs on: Google's cloud; use it on web, mobile, Windows, Mac, the command line, Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Slack
- What you need: Gemini Enterprise, or an eligible Workspace Business or Enterprise plan once it rolls out
- Open source: No
- Available in the UK: Not yet; private preview only, though Google hasn't excluded the UK
- Best for: Organisations on Google Workspace or Gemini Enterprise that also use Microsoft 365 or Slack
- Official site: cloud.google.com/gemini-enterprise
On this page
- What is Gemini agent?
- Is Gemini agent available in the UK?
- What's new in Gemini agent in October 2026?
- How much does Gemini agent cost in the UK?
- What do you need to run Gemini agent?
- How do you get access to Gemini agent?
- How do you use Gemini agent? First things to try
- Best Gemini agent video tutorials
- Official Gemini agent links
- Is Gemini agent safe? Privacy, security and UK GDPR
- Gemini agent vs Copilot Autopilot, ChatGPT Work and others
- Who should use Gemini agent?
- Frequently asked questions
What is Gemini agent?
Gemini agent is an AI agent, not a chatbot. Google's pitch is that you "give it objectives, not instructions". Ask for a launch deck based on your manager's email and it plans the steps, uses tools and returns the finished file. Google announced it on 8 October 2026.
- It runs in the cloud, so tasks continue after you close your laptop.
- It splits big jobs between sub-agents and can work for hours or days.
- It can be a coworker. Describe a role, such as finance analyst, and it gets its own company email, calendar and Drive.
- It picks the model for each job: Gemini or Claude for now.
- It connects widely, from Slack and Salesforce to any MCP server.
How is it different from Gemini Enterprise and Gemini Spark?
Forbes called the naming confusing. The map:
- Gemini: Google's AI models, such as Gemini 4 Argon.
- Gemini app: the chatbot at gemini.google.com, also included with Workspace.
- Gemini Spark: Google's consumer agent, now renamed Task. It needs a personal account with Google AI Pro or Ultra and isn't offered in the UK, EEA or Switzerland; see our Gemini Spark guide.
- Gemini Enterprise: Google Cloud's business subscription, whose product page now reads "Gemini for Business".
- Gemini agent: the work agent inside Gemini Enterprise, also coming to Workspace.
Is Gemini agent available in the UK?
Not yet, but the UK isn't shut out. As of 18 October 2026:
- Google told VentureBeat the agent is in private preview for a select group of customers, with wider access promised but no date.
- 9to5Google and Forbes report it will reach "select" Workspace Business and Enterprise plans, not yet named. Constellation Research expects general availability in late October or early November; Google hasn't confirmed a date.
- Google has published no country list, and nothing excludes the UK.
- Gemini Enterprise is sold here, with a UK data region for Standard and Plus editions on request. Claude isn't offered in that region.
What's new in Gemini agent in October 2026?
- 15 October: Claude Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5 arrived in the Gemini Enterprise app, switched on by admins, billed pay-as-you-go and run only in global, US and EU locations.
- 14 October: Gemini 3.8 Flash became available in the UK region with UK data residency.
- 13 October: Gemini 4 Argon, Google's new frontier model, became generally available in Gemini Enterprise, though not in its UK region.
- 8 October: Google announced the Gemini agent in private preview, plus preview versions for financial services and legal.
- 8 October: The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) named Google among ten AI developers that had made or promised data protection changes, and opened a call for evidence on AI agents until 20 November.
How much does Gemini agent cost in the UK?
Google hasn't published a price as of 18 October 2026. A spokesperson told VentureBeat it comes at no additional charge wherever Gemini Enterprise is available, including Workspace business and enterprise subscriptions:
| Plan | US price | UK price | Gemini agent? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workspace Business Starter | $7 per user a month | £5.90 | Not confirmed |
| Workspace Business Standard | $14 | £11.80 | Select Business plans, not yet named |
| Workspace Business Plus | $22 | £18.40 | As above |
| Workspace Enterprise | By quote | By quote | Select Enterprise plans |
| Gemini Enterprise | By quote | By quote | Included, per Google |
Workspace prices come from Google's UK and US pricing pages and exclude VAT; check the billing term and any new-customer discount at checkout. Hidden costs:
- Usage. Constellation Research reports billing will be consumption-based; Google tracks token and sandbox costs against spend caps.
- Claude. It bills pay-as-you-go on your Cloud Billing account.
- Coworker licences. Google hasn't said whether each coworker agent needs a seat.
Compare other agents in what AI agents cost in the UK.
What do you need to run Gemini agent?
- A work account with Gemini Enterprise, or an eligible Workspace plan later.
- An admin to approve permissions, connectors, models and spend caps, plus Cloud Billing for pay-as-you-go use.
- No hardware or coding, because it runs in Google's cloud.
How do you get access to Gemini agent?
There is no public sign-up as of 18 October 2026. The route:
- Check your plan. Ask your admin which Workspace plan or Gemini Enterprise edition you have.
- Ask about the preview through your Google Cloud account team or reseller.
- Not a customer? Gemini Enterprise Plus has a 30-day free trial, though background tasks are still early access.
- Need UK residency? Request the UK region before setup.
- Set a spend cap per project in Cloud Billing; the agent pauses at the limit.
- Watch the Workspace Updates blog for the rollout.
How do you use Gemini agent? First things to try
Once you have access, keep it drafting, not sending.
- Deck from an email: "Turn my manager's email about the Q4 launch into a ten-slide deck. Draft only."
- Weekly status: "Every Friday, summarise this week's Jira tickets and Slack threads into one Doc."
- Spreadsheet: "Build a 12-month revenue model in Excel from this folder and list your assumptions."
- Coworker role: "Act as our bookkeeper and draft overdue invoice reminders for my approval."
- Access check: "List every file shared with you and flag any you don't need."
Best Gemini agent video tutorials
Video: Google Cloud on YouTube.
Google's 14-minute demo shows the agent building a deck and Excel model in Microsoft 365, working in Docs and fetching Slack comments by voice.
| Video | Channel | Length | Uploaded | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside the Gemini Agent: Desktop, Workspace, Mobile & CLI | Google Cloud | 13:58 | 9 Oct 2026 | Seeing it work across apps |
| Introducing Gemini for your business: one universal agent for all your work | Google Cloud | 1:42 | 8 Oct 2026 | Quick overview |
| AI Agent Governance & Cost Controls on Google Cloud | Google Cloud | 1:23 | 9 Oct 2026 | Spend caps and identity |
| Google Cloud Live: Inside the Gemini at Work 2026 keynote | Google Cloud Tech | 23:25 | 12 Oct 2026 | Keynote recap |
All are Google's own because the agent is still in private preview, so watch the overview first, then the demo.
Official Gemini agent links
| Link | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Gemini for Business | Product page, sales and free trial |
| Launch announcement | Google's full launch post |
| Editions | What each edition includes |
| Release notes | Model, region and feature changes |
| Data residency | UK, EU and US regions |
| Workspace UK pricing | Plan prices in pounds |
Is Gemini agent safe? Privacy, security and UK GDPR
Google has built in more governance than most agents, but Forbes notes the controls hadn't run at scale beyond early testers.
What it can reach. Whatever admins approve: email, documents, Slack, Microsoft 365 and databases. Google says a coworker agent sees only files shared with it.
Identity and audit. Each agent has its own verified identity, minimal permissions and an audit trail in its own name. A gateway enforces rules, such as blocking confidential documents.
Approvals. Google describes admins approving permissions, not a check before each action, though Workflow Builder can add human review steps. Ask how the agent confirms outgoing email.
Training and retention. Google says prompts and outputs never train its models; requested deletions complete within 60 days.
Where data goes. You choose global, US, EU or UK locations. Claude runs only in global, US and EU, so enabling it moves processing outside the UK region. Google hasn't published residency terms for the agent itself.
Known incidents. None appear in Google's posts or the coverage cited here, as of 18 October 2026.
UK GDPR. Google Cloud's Data Processing Addendum covers UK GDPR. Do a data protection impact assessment before a coworker agent handles personal data; see our UK GDPR guide to AI agents.
Safest settings: spend caps, Claude off until reviewed, read-only connectors first, one shared folder per coworker, weekly audit log checks.
Gemini agent vs Copilot Autopilot, ChatGPT Work and others
As of 18 October 2026; "about" figures use $1 = £0.75.
| Agent | Works in | UK availability | Price | Controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini agent | Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack | Private preview | Included with Gemini Enterprise; usage likely extra | Agent identity, audit log, spend caps |
| Copilot Autopilot | Your Microsoft 365 tenant | See our guide | See our guide | Own identity in your tenant, with permissions and audit |
| ChatGPT Work and workspace agents | ChatGPT apps, connected apps, Slack | Yes | Business Standard £18 a seat a month, or £15 billed yearly (UK prices, VAT included) | Asks before consequential actions |
| Claude Cowork | Claude desktop app, folders and apps | Yes | Pro £18 a month plus VAT | You set the approval level |
| Salesforce Agentforce | Salesforce CRM and service | Yes, in pounds | Flex Credits £400 per 100,000 | Customer-facing agents |
Pick the agent that lives where your work does: Autopilot for Microsoft-only firms, Gemini agent for mixed Google, Microsoft and Slack shops. If you need one today, ChatGPT Work and Claude Cowork are available now.
Who should use Gemini agent?
It suits UK organisations on Gemini Enterprise, or on a Workspace Business or Enterprise plan once Google names the eligible ones, with some work in Microsoft 365 or Slack. Small firms should read AI agents for UK small businesses.
Skip it for now if you need an agent this month, use a personal Google account, or need Claude with UK-only processing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini agent available in the UK?
Not yet. As of 18 October 2026, Gemini agent is in private preview for a select group of Google Cloud customers, with no UK date. Unlike Gemini Spark, the UK isn't excluded, and Gemini Enterprise already sells here with a UK data region.
How much does Gemini agent cost?
Google hasn't published a price for Gemini agent as of 18 October 2026, but says it comes at no extra charge for Gemini Enterprise customers, including Workspace business and enterprise plans. UK Workspace Business plans cost £5.90 to £18.40 per user a month plus VAT, and usage charges are expected later.
What is the difference between Gemini agent and Gemini Enterprise?
Gemini Enterprise is Google Cloud's paid business subscription and app. Gemini agent is the work agent Google is building into it: it takes objectives, runs long tasks and can act as a coworker with its own email account. Gemini Enterprise customers get it at no extra charge.
Is Gemini agent the same as Gemini Spark?
No. Gemini Spark, now renamed Task, is Google's consumer agent in the Gemini app. It needs a personal Google account and Google AI Pro or Ultra, and isn't offered in the UK. Gemini agent is a business product sold through Google Cloud and Workspace.
Does Gemini agent use Claude?
It can. Gemini agent sends each job to the model Google judges best, currently Gemini or Anthropic's Claude. In Gemini Enterprise, admins must switch Claude on, it bills pay-as-you-go, and it runs only in Google's global, US and EU locations, not the UK region.
Gemini agent vs Microsoft Copilot Autopilot: which is better?
It depends on your software. Microsoft unveiled Autopilot on 25 September 2026 to work inside your Microsoft 365 tenant. Gemini agent works across Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Slack. Both are still in private preview. Microsoft-only firms should start with Autopilot; mixed shops should watch Gemini agent.
Read next
- Microsoft Copilot Autopilot explained
- ChatGPT Work and workspace agents
- Claude Cowork review
- Gemini Spark and Task mode
Sources
- Introducing Gemini agent (Google Cloud) - checked 18 October 2026
- Gemini for Business (Google Cloud) - checked 18 October 2026
- Gemini Enterprise release notes - checked 18 October 2026
- Gemini Enterprise data residency - checked 18 October 2026
- Gemini Enterprise security overview - checked 18 October 2026
- Workflow Builder overview - checked 18 October 2026
- Google Workspace UK pricing - checked 18 October 2026
- Cloud Data Processing Addendum - checked 18 October 2026
- Tasks and workflows in Gemini Apps (Google) - checked 18 October 2026
- Google built an AI coworker and gave it a confusing name (Forbes) - checked 18 October 2026
- Google Cloud unveils persistent Gemini agents (VentureBeat) - checked 18 October 2026
- Google Cloud announces Gemini agent (9to5Google) - checked 18 October 2026
- Google Cloud launches Gemini agent (Constellation Research) - checked 18 October 2026
- ICO scrutiny extends to AI agents (ICO) - checked 18 October 2026
- Agentforce pricing (Salesforce UK) - checked 18 October 2026
