To make AI more "human" and practical, Google, following its previous addition of features to Gemini, has...Personalization optionsFollowing that, today (January 23), it was further announced that..."Personal wisdom" The (Personal Intelligence) feature has been integrated into Google Search.AI ModeThis feature means that search engines will no longer just crawl online data, but can also access users' Gmail and Google Photos content, thereby providing more personalized answers that are closer to their personal history and interests.
It not only searches the entire internet, but also your life.
This new feature allows AI Mode to connect users' digital footprints within the Google ecosystem.
For example, when a user searches for clothing using AI Mode, Google might prioritize brands the user has previously purchased based on shopping receipts in Gmail. Or, if the system scans flight or hotel booking confirmations in a user's Gmail, when searching for "travel outfits," AI will automatically recommend suitable clothing based on the user's upcoming destination and the local season.
Powered by Gemini 3, it emphasizes not using private emails to train the model.
The core technology behind this feature is Google's latest Gemini 3 model. Regarding the most sensitive privacy issue, Google clarified that it will not use personal Gmail inboxes or Google Photos content to train the model. However, user-input suggestions and responses generated by AI Mode will still be used for model optimization.
In addition, Google also cautioned that since AI may occasionally fail to fully understand the context or make incorrect links, users should still exercise their own judgment regarding recommended content.
Limited to paid subscribers in the US for early access
This feature is currently an experimental project by Google Labs and will be rolled out starting today. However, the initial rollout has several limitations:
• Region and Language:Currently, it is only available in the United States and requires the use of the English interface.
• Qualification:You must be a paid subscriber to Google AI Pro or Ultra.
• Account type:Only personal Google accounts are supported; Workspace business accounts are not currently supported.
Analysis of viewpoints
The integration of "personal intelligence" into Google Search was inevitable, and it is Google's biggest competitive advantage over rivals like ChatGPT or Perplexity—it has your emails, photos, and calendar data from the past decade or so.
This update marks a shift in search engines from "finding general information" to "integrating personal context." For users, this significantly reduces the hassle of repeatedly entering background information (e.g., "I'm going to Japan," "I like wearing Japanese brands").
However, the price of convenience is always privacy. Even though Google promises not to use raw data to train its models, allowing AI to "read" your private emails and photos at any time to provide suggestions may still require some mental preparation for some privacy-conscious users to press the "agree" button.
