Google has officially launched Gmail into the new age of artificial intelligence, with the announcement of a suite of Gemini-powered features that aim to help transform full inboxes into smart and proactive assistants.
In a blog post announcing the update, the tech giant said that the new tools would be rolling out in phases with some features switched on by default. At the centre of the upgrade is AI-generated summaries, which are designed to help people quickly make sense of lengthy and complex email threads.
“When you open up an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesises the entire conversation into a short summary of key points,” Google said. The company described the move as part of its general effort to include Gmail in the “Gemini era.”
Google acknowledged how inboxes are full of great information but getting to it is often time-consuming. Even once on the right emails, users are often left flipping through message chains for answers. In order to resolve this, Google is rolling out “AI Overviews.”
AI Overviews helps to convert scattered information into definitive answers using natural language queries. Instead of looking up keywords, the users can ask direct questions such as, “Who was the plumber that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last year?” Gemini’s true advanced reasoning then retrieves the relevant details and provides an instant summary.
Conversation summaries as AI Overviews are rolling out to all users for free. However, the feature of posing in-depth questions to the inbox for AI Overviews will be inaccessible for users other than Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Google is also developing its writing tools. Soon, all users can access “Help Me Write” to write or improve emails, and new Suggested Replies that will change according to the tone and content development in conversations. A new proofread feature which has advanced grammar, tone, and style checks before sending emails, will also be introduced.
The rollout starts soon for Gmail users in the United States with English language.
