AI chatbots are old news — everyone is talking about AI agents now. Agentic systems use AI to automate and complete multistep tasks without specific direction, so you can set up workflows once, and they’ll complete tasks independently. General agents like the ChatGPT Agent or the Gemini Agent live in a chatbot, but there are also specialized agents that integrate with software like email, calendar, file, and task management services. I’ve been using an agentic Google Labs experiment, CC, for months in Google Workspace, and it’s never been easier to keep track of my responsibilities, discover events, and even catch deals before they expire.
CC is described as an AI productivity agent that provides daily personalized briefings using information from Gmail, Calendar and Drive. You have to give CC quite a bit of access to your Google Workspace account, but when you do, the productivity agent compiles all your events and action items in one place. Since it’s a Google Labs experiment, CC exists outside of Gemini and Google Workspace, and you need to opt into the test before you start using it.
It’s the most promising Labs experiment I’ve ever tried, and for context, I used the wildly popular NotebookLM when it was just a test in Google Labs. CC has the potential to be better.
CC is an AI agent living in your inbox
This productivity agent integrates with Gmail, Calendar, and Drive
CC is an AI email agent that compiles daily messages including upcoming tasks, calendar events, action items, and updates into an easy-to-skim summary. It’s called “Your Day Ahead,” and it’s personalized to your life and work responsibilities. I use AirTable and Asana for project management, and these web tools are configured to send me email updates on tasks, comments, and updates. Since these are sent to my email, CC can see them and remind me of upcoming assignments and deadlines.
By connecting with my inbox, I don’t have to individually grant CC access to third-party services. Anything that arrives via email, CC can see, analyze, and add to my personal daily briefing. The access helped me act quickly when it matters most. CC spotted a new account added to my credit report, and provided direct links for me to dispute the change if my identity had been stolen.
The productivity agent also reminds me when bills are due and when packages arrive at my apartment’s parcel locker. Tracking numbers are included in the daily report, making it possible to locate a package without searching my inbox for the specific confirmation email.
These seem like small victories, but when you receive a hundred emails a day consisting of spam, ads, promotions, and pitches, it’s easy to miss the one or two important messages. With CC, I barely have to read incoming messages. Anything important will be picked up by CC and summarized in my next daily brief, giving me a quick chance to skim the email subject and decide whether to act further. The agent also estimates how long an action item will take to handle, making it easy to decide which tasks to address or save for later.
The summaries are neatly organized into three main sections. “Top of mind” lists key deadlines and emails that need immediate attention, while “On your calendar” lists off events and meetings. The “FYI” section includes other useful information that might be less important, like advertising promotions or upcoming events that are further out.
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You can customize CC by emailing it
Tell CC exactly what you want to see in your daily reports
CC’s name is clearly a nod to sending a “carbon copy” of an email. That hints at CC’s best feature — you can email the agent at any time with custom requests. You can reply to any email from CC with further instructions, like how I asked CC to include daily weather reports into my daily briefings. Emailing CC directly is possibly by adding +cc to the end of your Google account username. For example, if your email was google@gmail.com, you’d message CC by emailing google+cc@gmail.com. Only you can message your CC address, and CC can only reply to your email address.
The longer CC is linked to your Gmail, Drive, and Calendar accounts, the more it learns about you. My agent knows I’m a technology journalist, and it builds my daily briefings using that context. For example, one section of my daily CC report lists off “major tech and entertainment announcements for future planning.” In other words, CC is specifically finding content ideas in my inbox and presenting them to me in a summarized briefing for my consideration. Depending on your line of work and what you use your Google account for, CC can similarly personalize its briefings to meet your needs.
You can also give CC feedback by hitting the thumbs up or thumbs down button at the bottom of each email. While CC can’t reply to other people, you can tag CC in email chains to have it summarize threads and answer questions. If you can think of a way for an AI agent to help in your inbox, it’s worth emailing CC.
CC makes sure you never miss an email
Daily briefings include links to almost-forgotten emails for convenience
By far, the best part about CC’s daily briefings are the direct links to emails and websites included for easy access. When the agent summarizes an email, it offers a direct reply link to that message. Better yet, CC extracts site links from the body of an email and presents them for your convenience. When I receive a tag in an Asana task, CC offers a link to the task and a shortcut to reply to the email. If you use the reply shortcut, CC uses generative AI to create a sample response that can be quickly sent or customized.
It’s nearly impossible for me to miss an email, task, or meeting with CC summarizing my daily responsibilities and providing hotlinks to act upon them. While you do have to grant CC access to your most crucial Workspace apps, it’s worth it.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free/subscription
- Platform
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Android/iOS
Gmail is a free email service created by Google that lets people send, receive, and organize email online. You can optionally request to try CC, an AI agent that connects with Gmail as a Google Labs experiment.
