Google is set to roll out an "inclusive language" feature that will prompt writers using Google Docs to avoid certain words.

Since April 14th Google has gradually been releasing a set of new assistive writing features into Google Docs. These will prompt users to avoid certain words and replace them with their own suggestions.In the updates release documentation, Google commented: "We've added several new assistive writing features in Google Docs, which will provide a variety of tone and style suggestions to help you create impactful documents faster."

While Google has traditionally provided assistive features when it comes to grammar and spelling, this move attempts to change the users choice of words towards language that is deemed more inclusive.These suggestions range from "landlord" being replaced by "property owner", "mankind" to "humankind", "policemen" to "police officers" and "housewife" to "stay-at-home-spouse".However, while these gender specific terms are flagged, The Daily Mail has noted that the same cannot be said for certain racial slurs:"A transcribed interview with ex Klu Klux Klan leader David Duke, in which he uses offensive racial slurs and talks about hunting blakc people, prompted no warnings."

But it suggested President John F Kennedy's inaugural address should say 'for all humankind' instead of 'for all mankind'."Silkie Carlo, of Big Brother Watch, has stated that: "Google is not only reading every word you type but telling you what to type."She would add: "This speech-policing is profoundly clumsy, creepy and wrong, often reinforcing bias. Invasive tech like this undermines privacy, freedom of expression and increasingly freedom of thought."Sam Bowman, of Works in Progress, said: "It feels pretty hectoring and adds an unwanted political/cultural slant to what I'd rather was a neutral product [as] a user."However, Google has argued that: "Our technology is always improving and we don't yet have a solution to identifying and mitigating all unwanted word associations and biases."