Google has begun rolling out a set of artificial intelligence–powered tools in Gmail that aim to help users manage emails more efficiently, but the changes have now renewed questions about how much access the company’s systems have to our personal inboxes.
The new features, which rely on Google’s Gemini AI, allow Gmail users to summarise long email threads, generate suggested replies, search for messages using natural language questions, and, in some cases, receive automatically generated to-do lists based on the email content. Some of the tools are available to all users, while others require a paid subscription.
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The update marks as one of the biggest changes to email use in years. Gmail which was long treated as a passive inbox checked repeatedly through the day, is being reshaped into a system that offers a daily overview of conversations and pending actions.
AI assistance comes with deeper inbox access
To make these features work, Gemini needs access to users’ emails. Google says the analysis is automated and that its employees do not read personal messages. Blake Barnes, Google’s vice president of product overseeing Gmail, told The New York Times that the AI processes email content within isolated environments and that the data is not used to train or improve Gemini.
“We know it takes a lot of trust for people to invite AI to connect these dots,” Barnes said, adding that Gmail users’ data remains confined to their individual accounts.
Among the most significant upcoming changes is an “AI Inbox”, currently being tested with a limited group of users. The feature highlights key conversations and generates task reminders drawn from recent emails, such as responding to a school or filling out a form sent by a doctor. Google has said the AI Inbox will be released more broadly later this year.
Google has also made several AI tools free that were previously available only to subscribers, including automatic summaries at the top of email threads, personalised suggested replies, and a “Help Me Write” option that drafts emails based on user prompts. Paid users gain access to advanced search functions and proofreading tools.
Privacy concerns remain unresolved
The deeper integration of AI into Gmail has prompted fresh concerns from privacy experts. While Google maintains that human reviewers do not read emails, the company has acknowledged that interactions with Gemini inside Gmail may be disclosed to law enforcement if required under valid legal orders.
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Most of the new AI features are switched on by default. Users who do not wish to use them must disable “Smart features” in their Gmail settings. The AI Inbox, once released, is expected to follow a similar opt-out model.
The tools offer clear gains in speed and organisation, particularly for users with crowded inboxes. But as Gmail moves further toward automation, users are being asked to weigh convenience against expanded access to their personal correspondence.
