Google's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Gemini introduced a feature that searches not only internet information but also personal emails and photos to deliver tailored answers. Google unveiled "personal intelligence," which integrates with its apps such as Gmail and Google Photos to compile information suited to individual circumstances, and plans to roll it out first to paid subscribers in the United States before expanding it.
Google said on the 14th (local time) that it applied personal intelligence to Gemini so users can leverage information stored in Google services, including personal emails, photos, and calendars. With this, Gemini will combine publicly available internet information with personal data to provide more precise answers.
For example, if asked, "What was my license plate number?" it can find relevant information saved in Gmail or Google Photos and answer. When asked about the time to replace car tires, it offers recommendations based on vehicle photos stored in Google Photos, taking into account the tire specifications suited to the vehicle and the driving environment. If asked to plan a family trip, it builds an itinerary that reflects past travel records and interests.
Google stressed that it designed this feature with privacy as the top priority. Personal intelligence is disabled by default, and users can choose whether to enable it and which apps to connect, and can turn it off at any time. It also offers a "temporary conversation" mode that lets users turn off personalization only for specific chats or avoid saving conversation history.
It also said information from Gmail and Google Photos will be used only as References when generating answers, and will not be used to train AI. Google said using data already stored in its services can be safer than sending sensitive information to external services for similar features. It added that for sensitive data such as health information, the system is designed not to infer or mention it proactively unless the user asks directly.
However, a limitation noted was that personal intelligence can misread subtle differences in context. For example, if a user who does not enjoy golf has taken many photos at a golf course for family members, Gemini could incorrectly conclude the user is a golf enthusiast.
Google said it first applied a beta version that day to some "AI Pro" and "AI Ultra" subscribers in the United States and plans to expand it to more countries and free users.