Google is rolling out AI enhancements across its services, impacting its 2 billion Gmail users and Android devices. The update enables Google’s AI, Gemini, to access a range of content—including personal and sensitive data—to improve user experience.
Users face important privacy considerations as the AI interacts more closely with apps like Phone, Messages, and WhatsApp. An email from Google sparked confusion by suggesting that Gemini would access data from these apps even if “Gemini Apps Activity” was disabled, raising concerns about potential privacy risks.
Google has clarified that while Gemini will assist with tasks on Android devices regardless of the activity setting, it will not review chats or use them to train AI models when “Gemini Apps Activity” is turned off. Previously, using Gemini with messaging apps required keeping activity on, which meant saving user interactions.
Despite these assurances, some data will still be temporarily stored—for up to 72 hours—even when activity tracking is disabled. This ongoing data retention has raised privacy alarms among users and experts.
Privacy advocates urge Google to offer clearer and more transparent options, similar to those now provided for Gemini on Android devices, especially regarding Gmail’s AI features. The balance between convenience and data security remains a concern, as deeper AI integration grants the system access to highly personal information like call logs and private messages.
Similar AI features are being introduced by other platforms, including WhatsApp, which has started offering AI-generated message summaries, signaling a broader industry trend. Users are advised to carefully consider privacy implications before opting into these AI developments.