Major Gmail update

  Gmail upgrade confirmed by Google, it will change how billions access emails

There’s a new battle taking place on your computers and your phones that will shape how you use technology for years to come. Google is leading the charge, albeit it’s not alone, and Gmail will likely change more than any other platform. That means serious decisions for its billion of users, who are well advised to think before clicking “yes.” Gmail is suddenly changing and introducing a new AI-powered search feature designed to deliver more relevant email search results by analysing user interactions with emails and senders. This update is part of a broader trend where AI tools are increasingly being integrated into technology platforms, raising privacy concerns about the handling of personal data. Google assures users that privacy is a priority and that they have control over these smart features through personalization settings. Following are the some of the important points:-

Gmail is introducing a smarter search feature powered by AI to provide more relevant email search results.

AI analysis is being applied to personal data, raising concerns about privacy and data handling.

Google assures users that privacy is a priority and that they have control over their data through personalization settings.

The new AI-powered search feature is available on the web and in the Gmail app for Android and iOS, with business users receiving it later.

Here we highlight the on-going competition among tech giants like Google and Microsoft to incorporate AI into their services, with Microsoft also introducing AI features in OneDrive. Users are advised to be cautious about how their data is used, as AI tools analyse personal information to enhance user experience. We’re talking AI and the breakneck speed with which new tools are being stitched into the platforms and services we all use daily. Apple may have been hit with an unintended slowdown, but not Google and Microsoft. There’s no stopping them. Take your Chrome search history as an example. It’s surprisingly personal, what you search on the web and how you term those searches. But AI will be let loose on that history, if you let it, using this to get to know you better so it can help you more. But this isn’t an executive assistant, it’s a technology platform owned by the world’s most valuable marketing machine. 

Google is about to overhaul the login procedure for Gmail users as part of a major security update to its email service. The current method of sending an SMS text message to verify a user’s identity will be phased out “over the next few months”, with a new QR code system replacing it. The switch is aimed at reducing the impact of “rampant, global SMS abuse”, a spokesperson said. “Just like we want to move past passwords with the use of things like passkeys, we want to move away from sending SMS messages for authentication,” said Ross Richendrfer, who works on security and privacy issues at Google. Or how about Microsoft’s new (and seemingly automated) opt-in to having its own Copilot AI let loose on OneDrive. “Do you want Microsoft Copilot sniffing your OneDrive files?” PC World asks. “Too late. Allowing AI to sniff your cloud files may seem a little creepy, but Microsoft says it will only work with your authorization.”

Two-step verification has become mandatory for the Gmail users around the world, with SMS text messages used to confirm that a user is the person they claim to be. While it is much safer than a password by itself, fraudsters have still managed to discover ways to bypass this security feature. And so we come to Gmail, and Google’s confirmation that “Gmail is rolling out a smarter search feature powered by AI to show you the most relevant results, faster.” No doubt this is useful. Factoring in how you engage with emails and senders to better serve up results, to resolve the pain in email search. “If you’ve ever struggled with finding information in your overflowing inbox,” Google says, “you’re not alone.” One method is through phishing attacks, where cyber criminals trick people into sharing the security codes by posing as someone from Google or their phone carrier. But again this is AI set loose on your personal information. Google assured about the privacy implications and said that “our priority is respecting our users’ privacy while giving them choice and control over their data. To that end, this particular tool is one of the 'smart features’ that users can control in their personalization settings.” 

Google said there has also been issues with users not having access to the device that the SMS verification code is sent to. “SMS codes are a source of heightened risk for users,” Mr Richendrfer said. “We’re pleased to introduce an innovative new approach to shrink the surface area for attackers and keep users safer from malicious activity.” There’s no suggestion that your data is being syphoned off to train models or enhance marketing profiles, but it is being analysed. Users must now need to decide on their own red lines. There’s a big difference between auditable on-device AI analysis versus what’s done in the cloud. Gmail and email more widely need to catch up with the on-device processing being applied to other platforms, and here’s another good reason why that’s becoming so critical.