Google on Thursday is rolling out a new artificial intelligence feature called “Personal Intelligence” that will let search users tap their Gmail messages and Google Photos libraries to receive personalized recommendations tailored to their habits, interests, and travel history. The tool, available first in the U.S. to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers as well as users in the company’s experimental Labs division, marks Google’s latest effort to integrate artificial intelligence across its digital services. The rollout intensifies Google’s competition with newer AI-powered answer engines from startups including ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The feature requires users to grant Google access to intimate personal data stored in email and photos, raising questions about privacy even as millions have already been sharing such information implicitly with the company for years through search queries and cloud storage.
How it works
When enabled, Personal Intelligence connects Google’s AI Mode to Gmail and Google Photos, allowing the technology to analyze a user’s email history, travel plans, and stored photographs to deliver customized recommendations. Someone asking the search engine for weekend getaway suggestions might receive recommendations based on their documented past trips. The search engine might automatically recognize a person’s favorite restaurants by reviewing old pictures or identify preferred clothing styles from stored photos.
Google’s statement
“Personal Intelligence transforms Search into an experience that feels uniquely yours by connecting the dots across your Google apps,” said Robby Stein, a vice president in Google Search, in a blog post. Stein cautioned that Personal Intelligence will not always deliver accurate answers, adding that users can help correct the AI by providing feedback through thumbs-down symbols or written commentary.
Privacy implications
Using Personal Intelligence requires users to grant Google access to intimate details about their lives—from email content discussing personal matters to family photos and travel records. Yet this relationship with personal data already exists implicitly. Millions of people have been sharing sometimes sensitive information with Google through search queries and the Gmail and Photos services for years.
Expansion and competition
Personal Intelligence represents Google’s latest step in integrating artificial intelligence across its digital services, using Gemini 3i, the AI model the company released in November. Earlier this month, Google introduced AI features to Gmail and announced a partnership with Apple to enhance Siri on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
These advances come as Google faces legal and competitive pressures. Despite a 2024 federal finding that Google operates as an illegal monopoly, its search engine remains the internet’s dominant gateway. The company competes against newer AI-powered answer engines from startups like ChatGPT and Perplexity, which position themselves as alternatives to traditional search. A federal judge rejected the Justice Department’s proposal to force a Chrome sale as an antitrust remedy, allowing Google to continue its AI expansion.