Gemini's Reading Your Emails Now (But You Can Stop It!)

Gemini Takes Over Your Inbox: Google's AI Assistant Now Automatically Summarizes Emails

Get ready for a significant change in how you manage your Gmail! Google's AI assistant, Gemini, is stepping up its game and embedding itself even further into your daily workflow. The tech giant announced on Thursday that Gemini will now automatically generate summary cards for your long email threads, appearing prominently at the top of your inbox. This means no more manual clicking – the AI will proactively condense the content for you.

Remember when Gemini launched in Gmail's side panel last year? It offered a suite of AI-powered tools, including the ability to summarize lengthy email conversations. Now, Google is taking it a step further, integrating this summarization capability directly into your inbox, whether you explicitly asked for it or not.

Here's what you need to know:

• Automatic Summarization: Gemini will automatically create a synopsis of lengthy emails, highlighting key points.
• Real-Time Updates: As replies arrive, the summary will dynamically update, keeping you abreast of the latest developments.
• Manual Option Remains: Don't worry, the original "Summarize" button (chip) at the top of the email and in the Gemini side panel isn't going anywhere. You'll still have the option to manually trigger a summary if you prefer.

This update underscores the rapid and pervasive integration of AI into the software and services we use daily. However, it also raises important questions about accuracy and user control. As we've seen with other AI summarization tools, such as Apple's AI summaries for news notifications (which faced accuracy issues and were subsequently paused), these technologies aren't always perfect. Google's own AI Overviews feature for Search has also been known to occasionally produce inaccurate or low-quality information.

Image Credits:Google

The good news is that Google provides options for managing this feature. Depending on your region, the summary cards might be enabled or disabled by default.

Here's how to control your Gemini email summaries:

• EU, UK, Switzerland, and Japan: Smart features, including email summaries, are typically turned off by default.
• Other Regions: You can enable or disable the feature in Gmail's Settings under "Smart features."
• Workplace Admins: Admins have the power to disable personalization settings for users within the Admin console.

Currently, this feature is only available for emails written in English. Stay tuned for updates on expanded language support!

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The automated email summarization is just one example of how AI is shaping the way we interact with technology. While it offers the potential for increased efficiency and productivity, it's crucial to remain aware of the potential pitfalls and exercise control over how these features are implemented. Gemini's inbox integration is a bold move by Google, and it will be interesting to see how users respond to this new level of AI assistance.

Tags: Gemini AI, Email Summary, Gmail AI, AI Inbox, Google AI, AI Summaries, Email AI, AI Assistant, Gemini, Inbox AI

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/30/gemini-will-now-automatically-summarize-your-long-emails-unless-you-opt-out/