Google Antigravity adds Knowledge Work mode for non-coders

Google Antigravity is adding a Knowledge Work interface for people who want to use its agent for research, document drafting, data analysis and other everyday tasks without being pushed through a developer-focused workspace. The new layout sits alongside the existing Software Engineering option in the Antigravity app. ¹

Google says the two layouts use the same underlying Antigravity agent. Users in either mode retain access to frontier models, local files, plugins, skills, rules, custom agents and MCP servers. The change is therefore about how the work is presented rather than a separate, less capable assistant. ¹

What is changing

The existing Antigravity interface is built around repositories, terminals and code diffs. Google says the Knowledge Work layout removes some of that developer-centred framing for people whose work is centred on research, writing, presentations, design or operations.

Projects in the new layout are backed by folders, while Git worktree and branch controls are hidden. The conversation view replaces expandable tool-call groups, inline code diffs and subagent cards with a live progress line and plain-language summaries for permission prompts. Google also says the overview and side panel focus on Documents, Artifacts, Links, Uploads and Background Tasks, while the Files tree becomes Folders. ¹

Developer controls have not disappeared. Google says Terminal, Workspaces and detailed permission rules move under Advanced Settings, while installed plugins receive a more prominent place in the interface. Skills, rules, custom agents and MCP servers continue to run in the background when configured.

A layout choice, not a new agent

The distinction matters because the announcement is not describing a separate model or a restricted consumer mode. Both interface layouts run the same agent, and both can use the same connected tools. The Knowledge Work option is intended to make those capabilities easier to approach when the goal is producing an artefact rather than editing a codebase.

Google says the change follows increased use of Antigravity for deep research, data analysis, documents, presentations, design prototypes and workflow automation. The company also says tens of thousands of Googlers outside software engineering use Antigravity each week. That usage figure is Google's own claim, not an independently audited measurement. ¹

The company is also introducing role-based onboarding for new users. The starting choices include Software Engineering, Knowledge Work, Data & Analytics, Science and Design, with the selected role used to tailor the initial layout, starter prompts and recommended plugins. ¹

How to switch

In the Antigravity app, open Settings, choose General, then Interface Layout. Users can select Knowledge Work or Software Engineering, with the latter remaining the default for existing users according to Google's announcement. The switch takes effect immediately across open and new conversations, without a restart. ¹

Our opinion

This is a sensible interface change because it tackles a real problem with agent software: the underlying capability can be useful to many professions, while the interface still assumes everyone wants to think in repositories, terminals and diffs. Google is not pretending that hiding developer controls changes what the agent can do. Instead, it is separating the work surface from the machinery underneath.

The important test will be whether the simplified layout remains transparent when an agent is working across files, plugins and external services. Plain-language progress is helpful, but people still need enough detail to understand what was accessed, what changed and where a task stopped. If Knowledge Work keeps that balance, it could make Antigravity more approachable without turning it into a shallow chatbot. If it hides too much, experienced users will simply head back to Advanced Settings.

For now, the update looks like a practical attempt to broaden Antigravity's audience while keeping its agent, model access and integration layer intact.