Google is rolling out a new AI-powered Inbox experience for Gmail alongside search enhancements, a built-in proofreading tool, and wider access to existing AI features, with the aim of helping users track tasks, find information faster, and manage email more efficiently.
AI Inbox Adds Task And Update Summaries
Google has introduced an AI Inbox tab for Gmail that provides a personalized overview of actions and updates. The new tab is organized into two sections: “Suggested to-dos” and “Topics to catch up on.”
The “Suggested to-dos” section surfaces summaries of high-priority emails that require action. Examples include reminders about an upcoming bill payment or a prompt to contact a medical provider to confirm an address for a prescription refill.
The “Topics to catch up on” section groups informational updates drawn from emails, such as shipment confirmations, return processing notices, or financial statements. These updates are organized into categories including Finances and Purchases. Examples shown by Google include order delivery updates from Lululemon and end-of-year statements from Wealthfront.
“This is us delivering on Gmail proactively having your back, showing you what you need to do and when you need to do it,” said Blake Barnes, vice president of product at Google, during a briefing with reporters. He added that the traditional inbox will remain available and that the AI Inbox is an optional view users can toggle on or off.
Google said the AI Inbox is rolling out first to trusted testers, with broader availability planned in the coming months.
Natural Language Search Comes To Gmail
Google is also adding AI Overviews to Gmail search, allowing users to ask questions in natural language instead of relying on keyword searches. With this feature, users can ask questions such as who provided a service quote in a previous year and receive a summarized answer pulled directly from their emails.
According to Barnes, the system scans the user’s inbox and presents the relevant information at the top of the results. He said the AI model used for Gmail search relies only on the user’s own emails and does not draw from external data sources.
AI Overviews in Gmail search are rolling out to subscribers of Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra.
Proofread Tool Added For Writing Assistance
Gmail is also introducing a new Proofread feature designed to help users revise and refine email drafts. The tool analyzes text to suggest improvements in clarity and structure, offering one-click edits for word choice, conciseness, active voice, and breaking up complex sentences.
Google provided examples showing the feature suggesting simpler phrasing, correcting incorrect word usage, and improving sentence structure. The functionality is positioned as similar to third-party proofreading tools such as Grammarly.
Proofread is rolling out to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.
Existing AI Features Expand To All Users
Alongside the new launches, Google said several Gmail AI features previously limited to paying subscribers are now becoming available to all users. These include Help Me Write, AI Overviews for threaded emails, and Suggested Replies.
Help Me Write allows users to generate an email draft from a single prompt. AI Overviews for threaded emails summarize long email chains with multiple replies. Suggested Replies use conversation context to offer responses aligned with the user’s tone and writing style.
Google said all AI features in Gmail are optional, that personal content is not used to train its foundational models, and that personal data is processed in an isolated environment.
Featured image credits: ccnull.de
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