Google announced at its 2024 Google I/O conference that Gmail will get an AI upgrade. According to Google, Gmail users will be able to use its Gemini AI technology searches, summarizes and drafts emails. Gemini is also able to perform more complex tasks, such as helping users process e-commerce returns by searching inboxes, finding receipts and filling out online forms.
In a demo at I/O, Google showed a scenario where a parent wants to know what's going on with their child's school. They can ask ini to summarize all the recent emails from the school. In addition to the body of the email, the feature can also include attachments, such as PDF files. The summary will include key points or action items.
In another demonstration, Google showed how Gemini in Gmail could help a homeowner who was doing a home renovation compare emailed quotes from different contractors.
Gemini can be asked from the sidebar of Gmail to help them organize receipts from mail and even put it into a Drive folder, or to extract information from receipts and put it into a spreadsheet. If the user does this frequently, such as tracking expenses as a business traveler, Gemini can also provide automated workflows for future use.
Despite the advantages and efficiencies that Gemini brings, it’s unclear whether Gmail users will be comfortable with AI in their inboxes. In the past, users have been uncomfortable with Google scanning their emails for ad placement, even though the system was automated and without human involvement. Today, there is growing concern about how AI is trained and how people’s data is used in the process. Despite the advantages and efficiencies that such a system brings, Gmail users may be uncomfortable with the idea of AI “reading” their emails.
In addition to scanning Gmail, Gemini can also draft emails for users.
Elsewhere in the Workspace suite, Gemini is also able to offer highlights of Google Meet meetings. Gemini 1.5 Pro will be available as an optional upgrade in Workspace Labs for those who want to try it out.