AI

Google Adds AI Inbox to Gmail That Summarizes Mail

Gmail’s New AI Inbox Uses Gemini to Summarize
Gmail AI Inbox
  • Key Takeaways:
  • Google is testing an “AI Inbox” tab in Gmail that reads messages and suggests action items and topics using the Gemini model.
  • Each suggested to‑do or topic links back to the original email for verification; users can opt out and Google says inbox data won’t train its foundation models.
  • Several Gemini features (Help Me Write, AI Overviews) are now free for all Gmail users; Google One Ultra/Pro subscribers get advanced proofreading and whole‑inbox summary search.
  • Reliability remains a concern: Google warns Gemini can make mistakes and built a privacy architecture for the feature, according to project lead Blake Barnes.

What is the AI Inbox?

Google’s AI Inbox is a new Gmail tab currently rolling out in beta that automatically scans a user’s messages and surfaces suggested to‑dos and important topics. The feature is powered by Google’s Gemini family of large language models and is intended to help users triage calendar events, bills, requests, and other actionable items.

The interface places action items at the top of the tab with a list of topics beneath, and every suggestion links back to the original email so users can verify context and details.

How Google frames privacy and accuracy

Google emphasizes that the AI Inbox was built with specific privacy protections. “We didn’t just bolt AI onto Gmail,” says Blake Barnes, who leads the project. “We built a secure privacy architecture, specifically for this moment.”

The company also states that data scanned by the feature will not be used to improve its foundational models. Still, Google includes a clear disclaimer that Gemini can make mistakes when summarizing or searching an inbox, and users are advised to double‑check critical items.

Opt‑out and controls

Gmail users who don’t want AI features can turn them off. The opt‑out control applies to the new tools so people can keep a traditional inbox experience if they prefer.

Which AI features are free and which are paid?

Google made several Gemini features available to all Gmail users, including Help Me Write (AI‑assisted composition) and AI Overviews that add TL;DR summaries to long threads.

Subscribers to Google One’s Ultra and Pro plans (starting at about $20/month) receive extra tools: an advanced AI proofreading assistant and an AI Overviews search that can scan the entire inbox and produce topic‑level summaries rather than summarizing only single threads.

What to expect

If you rely on Gmail to manage appointments, bills, and requests, AI Inbox could save time by highlighting forgotten tasks. However, because LLMs still make errors, users should verify every automated suggestion.

Expect Google to expand the beta as Gemini continues to improve, but approach the feature with the same caution you’d use for any automated assistant.

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