Google said it will roll out a new option, “Personal Intelligence,” within the AI Mode on Google Search starting Thursday. The feature is meant to let AI Mode draw on information across Google services so answers can be tailored to each user’s life and preferences, including what is stored in Gmail and Google Photos.
Google said the new option will begin in the U.S. for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. It will also be offered in Google’s experimental Labs division for people with a personal Google account, according to the AP report.
Turning on Personal Intelligence, Google said, plugs the AI Mode experience into Gmail and the Google Photos app so the system can learn more about a user’s life and provide more relevant answers. The company framed the change as a way for search to better reflect a person’s habits and interests, based on data the user has already provided through other Google tools.
One example described by Google was a request for weekend getaway suggestions. In that scenario, the company said AI mode could provide recommendations based on a person’s past trips and experiences.
Another example described by Google involved preferences. In AI mode, the search engine might know a person’s favorite restaurants or recognize preferred clothing styles by reviewing older pictures saved in Google Photos.
Robby Stein, a vice president in Google Search, wrote in a blog post that “Personal Intelligence transforms Search into an experience that feels uniquely yours by connecting the dots across your Google apps.” Stein also warned that Personal Intelligence will not always deliver the best answers, and he said users can help correct the system by telling AI mode with words or using a thumbs-down symbol.
The AP report said that enabling Personal Intelligence involves asking users to trust Google to protect the details it is fed about their lives. It also said millions of people already make similar tradeoffs implicitly by entering sometimes intimate queries into search and sharing personal information through Gmail and the Photos app.
Google described the move as part of broader efforts to make its suite of digital services more powerful with the latest AI model, Gemini 3i, which came out in November. The AP report also said the company took early steps toward turning Gmail into an AI-powered personal assistant earlier this month.
The report added that Gemini capabilities could extend into Apple devices after Apple decided last week to team up with Google to bring more AI tools to iPhone, iPad and Mac. The partnership, according to the AP, is focused on a long-delayed effort to make Siri more conversational and versatile.
The rollout arrives as Google faces legal scrutiny and intensifying competition for search attention. A U.S. federal judge condemned Google’s search engine as an illegal monopoly in 2024, the AP reported, and the judge rejected a U.S. Justice Department proposal that would have required Google to sell its Chrome web browser.
The AP report said Google’s search engine remains the internet’s main gateway even as the company works to fend off threats from AI-powered answer engines offered by up-and-coming innovators including ChatGPT and Perplexity.