Google adds AI features to Chromebook Plus devices

Google’s adding a slew of AI features to its productivity-focused Chromebook Plus line of devices, including a screen-selection tool for search and text capture, a tool that explains complex text, and NotebookLM.

The new screen-selection tool works similarly to Google Lens and the “Circle to search” feature in Chrome on smartphones: long-press the launcher button or use the screenshot tool to select what is on your screen, and Google will instantly search for it. The tool also lets you select text and quickly add an event to the calendar.

Last year, Google added a new “quick insert” key to some Chromebook Plus models that lets you trigger shortcuts. Users can now access Google’s AI image-generation features with this key, as well as AI-powered writing tools.

Meanwhile, the new “Simplify” feature lets you use AI to explain, simplify, or summarize any text you have selected.

Google’s also giving all new Chromebook Plus users one year’s subscription to the Google AI Pro plan, which includes access to the Gemini app; video editing tool Flow; image-to-video creation tool Whisk; Gemini in Gmail, Docs, and Chrome; and 2TB of storage. The AI Pro plan otherwise costs $240 per year.

Alongside these features, Google is launching two exclusive AI features for Lenovo’s new Chromebook Plus 14: One uses AI to recommend tab and document organization, while the second lets users edit images using the Gallery app to remove backgrounds or make stickers.

Lenovo’s new Chromebook comes with an OLED touch screen and runs on an ARM-based MediaTek Kompanio Ultra chip. It comes in 12GB and 16GB RAM variants, costing $649 and $749, respectively.