Google brings 'Personal Intelligence' to AI Mode, tapping Gmail and Photos for personalized Search
Google's AI Mode now offers opt-in 'Personal Intelligence', letting Gemini access Gmail and Photos to generate more personalized search answers for Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Overview
Google is rolling out 'Personal Intelligence' in AI Mode to U.S. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, initially as an opt-in Labs feature requiring explicit enablement.
When enabled, AI Mode can scan a user's Gmail and Google Photos to pull context like bookings or past purchases to tailor recommendations and answers.
Google says Personal Intelligence won't train models directly on inboxes or photos; it trains on prompts and outputs, and users can revoke app access at any time.
Google gives examples like using flight confirmations and photos to suggest itinerary ideas, clothing recommendations, or shopping choices aligned with a user's history and preferences.
The rollout highlights Google's push to embed Gemini's capabilities across services amid competition and regulatory scrutiny, prompting tradeoffs between personalization and user privacy.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources treat this coverage as largely neutral, explaining Google’s new Personal Intelligence and quoting company claims while also noting limitations and privacy trade‑offs. They present benefits ("could be quite helpful") alongside caveats ("Perfectly imperfect", opt‑in labs, revoke access), relying on company statements and concrete examples rather than evaluative framing.
Sources (4)
FAQ
Personal Intelligence is a beta feature in Gemini that connects users' Gmail, Photos, YouTube history, and Search data to deliver tailored AI responses by reasoning across personal data sources.
It's rolling out as an opt-in beta to U.S. Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, requiring explicit enablement in settings, and works across Android, iOS, and web.
It's opt-in by default, users control app connections, data isn't used directly to train models (only filtered prompts and outputs), and users can disable or revoke access anytime.
Examples include using flight emails and photos for itinerary ideas, pulling license plate from photos and emails for tire recommendations based on driving habits, or tailoring restaurant suggestions to past reservations and preferences.
It will expand to AI Mode in Google Search, more countries, and eventually the free tier, starting from the current U.S. beta for paid subscribers.
History
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