Google on Thursday unveiled new artificial intelligence features in Gmail, an effort by the technology giant to refresh its 22-year-old messaging app amid growing use of AI.
The advancements include helping users write messages, finding information buried in email inboxes and delivering daily to-do lists. Gmail's new AI features initially will only be available in English within the U.S. Some features will be accessible to all users free of charge, while others require G1 Ultra and Pro subscriptions.
Alphabet-owned Google is rolling out the new email tools as the company weaves functionality from its latest large language model, Gemini 3, into its online search and other applications. Yet the push comes amid mounting privacy concerns around the use of generative AI, including its potential access to personal information.
Personalized writing aid
With the new features, all Gmail users will have access to what Google calls a 'Help Me Write' tool, which assists users with their grammar and phrasing. The tech analyzes users' previous emails to better understand their writing style so it can personalize emails and make real-time suggestions on how to respond to a message.
Gmail will also offer an AI Overview feature, which summarizes email exchanges and highlights key takeaways from longer threads.
Both features will be available on the Web and mobile versions of Gmail.
"This is us delivering on Gmail proactively having your back," said Blake Barnes, a Google vice president of product.
Google is offering paid Pro and Ultra subscribers access to technology that lets users ask natural-language questions directly in the Gmail search bar. Subscribers will also have access to a dedicated chatbot for follow-up questions.
For example, instead of manually searching for last month's electric bill, a user could ask, "How much was my electric bill last month?" Gemini would scan the user's email history, highlight the information and provide direct access to any relevant messages.
Another feature, "AI Inbox," is also being rolled out to a handful of customers for testing. When it's turned on, the function will sift through inboxes and suggest to-do lists and topics that users might want to explore.
Meanwhile, the so-called "Catch me up" tool will provide users with reminders of their upcoming events and appointments. This includes but is not limited to upcoming reservations, purchases and deliveries, and cancelled or rescheduled appointments.
How to opt out
Incorporating AI directly into Gmail could pose risks for Google, given that large language models can sometimes present erroneous or misleading information. And although users can proofread AI-aided messages before they're sent, the tech could potentially make mistakes.
Still, Gmail users can turn off the AI features. To do so, users should open their Gmail account settings and, under the "General" tab, scroll to the "Smart" features and personalization section. Users should then uncheck "Turn on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet," and then save their changes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
