The takeaway: Here's a piece of news that not everyone will welcome: Google thinks there simply isn't enough generative AI in Gmail, so it's adding even more Gemini features. Some are free, others are subscription-only, and a few will be enabled by default – meaning you'll have to opt out if you don't want them.
The biggest new feature Google has announced is its AI Overviews. The feature is already in Gmail for summarizing email chains. Now, it's being expanded to Gmail search, where users can ask conversational questions about their inbox.
The feature is similar to the AI Overviews Google uses on its web search. Users can enter a search query using natural language, such as "Who was the plumber that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last year?" The AI will then search through your emails and generate a response with the answers, rather than just listing a load of emails that mention the word "plumber."
AI Overviews in Gmail search will only be available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. Paying users also get a new Proofread feature for advanced grammar, tone, and style checks.
Also new is the AI Inbox. This view will automatically surface what Gemini believes are your most important emails, pushing them to the top while demoting everything else.
Google says the system looks at factors like recency, frequent contacts, and how you typically interact with messages. In other words, it's another algorithm deciding what you should and shouldn't see, except this time it's powered by a large language model rather than a relatively simple ranking system.
Google is also expanding its existing AI tools. "Help me write" is getting more capable, allowing users to adjust tone (formal, concise, or more enthusiastic) and refine drafted emails. Google says it will upgrade Help Me Write with better personalization next month by bringing context from your other Google apps.
Smart Reply is being upgraded to Suggested Replies, with Gemini generating longer, more detailed responses instead of the short canned phrases Gmail has used for years.
Another addition is automatic follow-up suggestions powered by Gemini, which will proactively surface stalled conversations and suggest next steps. There's also improved email summarization for long newsletters and multi-part threads, and deeper integration with Google Calendar and Tasks, letting Gemini suggest events or to-dos directly from email content.
Several of these features had been available on subscription tiers, including Help Me Write and email summaries, but Google is now opening some of them up to users on the free tier.
Unsurprisingly, privacy concerns are already being raised. Google says Gemini processes emails securely and that personal data isn't used to train its public AI models. Still, the idea of an AI continuously scanning your inbox to rank messages, generate replies, and answer conversational queries isn't going to sit well with everyone – especially since some features will be switched on by default.
The new Gemini-powered Gmail features will begin rolling out today on the web, Android, and iOS, starting in the US and in English.