Google is rolling out AI enhancements to its Gmail platform, affecting 2 billion users worldwide. The update allows Google’s cloud-based AI to access all user content, including sensitive data, raising privacy concerns.
While Gmail’s AI features aim to improve smart search and replies, they introduce conflicts with the platform’s existing quasi end-to-end encryption. Users must carefully consider privacy risks before enabling these default upgrades.
Recent communications from Google regarding the AI assistant Gemini sparked confusion and warnings among Android users. An email suggested that Gemini would access sensitive apps such as Messages and WhatsApp regardless of whether users had disabled Gemini Activity.
“Gemini will soon be able to help you use Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, and Utilities on your phone, whether your Gemini Apps Activity is on or off,” the email stated.
Google later clarified this message, explaining that Gemini can perform tasks like sending messages and initiating calls even when Gemini Apps Activity is off. However, with the feature disabled, Gemini does not retain or review chats to improve AI models. Previously, Gemini Activity needed to be enabled for such integration, which raised privacy issues by saving interactions.
Despite this clarification, some concerns remain. Google continues to store Gemini interactions for up to 72 hours even if Activity is off, a point users should note.
Android Headlines warns that starting July 7, 2025, Gemini will access apps like Phone and Messages regardless of Activity settings, which fuels ongoing privacy debates. Google maintains that turning off Activity prevents data from being used for AI training, but deeper integration of AI with personal data highlights legitimate user concerns about privacy and security.
This development follows similar AI integration moves by WhatsApp, which now offers AI-generated message summaries for chat threads, illustrating a broader trend towards embedding AI in messaging platforms.
Overall, while AI enhancements offer convenience, they prompt a need for transparent privacy options. Clear user choices, like those now provided for Gemini on Android, should be extended to Gmail and other services to ensure trust and informed consent.