​In 2025, Google introduced a significant Gmail upgrade, featuring new features and enhancements that affect over 3 billion users globally. This update aims to enhance the user experience, strengthen security, and integrate advanced productivity tools.

A new battle is unfolding on your computers and phones, one 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 3 billion users, who are well advised to think before clicking “yes.”

We’re talking about AI and the breakneck speed with which new tools are being integrated into the platforms and services we use daily. Apple may have been hit with an unintended slowdown, but not Google and Microsoft. There’s no stopping them.

Could you, for example, take a look at your Chrome search history? It’s surprisingly personal — what you search on the web and how you term those searches. However, AI will be let loose on that history, if you let it, using it to get to know you better so it can help you more effectively. But this isn’t an executive assistant; it’s a technology platform owned by the world’s most valuable marketing machine. Buyer beware, as they say.

Or how about Microsoft’s new (and seemingly automated) opt-in to letting its own Copilot AI loose on OneDrive? “Do you want Microsoft Copilot sniffing your OneDrive files?” PC World asks. “Too late. Allowing AI to scan your cloud files may seem a little creepy, but Microsoft says it will only work with your explicit authorization.

And so we come to Gmail and Google’s confirmation on Thursday 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. We factor in how you engage with emails and senders to deliver better results and resolve email search pain points. “If you’ve ever struggled with finding information in your overflowing inbox,” Google says, “you’re not alone.”

But again, this is AI set loose on your personal information. I asked Google about the privacy implications and was assured 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. For more information on these settings, please refer to the following link » GO.

There is no indication that your data is being used to train models or enhance marketing profiles, but it’s being analyzed. As Android Police has just warned, “if you think Google’s terms of service are reasonable, you may still want to reconsider allowing Google to store your conversations in Gemini.” The AI landscape is evolving rapidly, and legislators are slow to keep up with the ethical and legal ramifications of generative AI.”

Users must now decide on their red lines. For me, there’s a significant difference between auditable on-device AI analysis and what’s done in the cloud, although ensuring privacy policies might be a concern. There is a considerable difference between “can’t” and “won’t,” as Amazon’s recent change to its own local versus cloud processing makes clear.

Android Police recommends turning off AI training now. It won’t impact your Gemini experience and acts as insurance against any changes to Gemini’s terms of service.” The good news is that you only need to turn AI training off on one device to disable it across all devices where you’re signed into Gemini.” The bad news is that various privacy policies govern different platforms and services. It’s worth double-checking for any AI you’re using that has access to private content, such as emails.

As ESET’s Jake Moore has warned, “any data that we share online—even in private channels—has the potential to be stored, analyzed, and even shared with third parties.” When information is a premium and even seen as a currency of its own, AI models can be designed to delve more deeply into users, who divulge vast amounts of personal information. Data sharing can ultimately create security and privacy issues in the future, and many users are unaware of the risks.”

I’ve argued before that Gmail and email, more broadly, need to catch up with the on-device processing being applied to other platforms, and here’s another compelling reason why that’s becoming increasingly critical. It has become a selling point for new message and app security features. The same principle should apply to email.

It’s no coincidence that Apple is struggling to make AI work where others are not. As Wired says, “Apple’s approach to this is likely not the norm.” You’ll need to be comfortable handing over large amounts of data to make Alexa work its best, while OpenAI’s Sam Altman seems happy to destroy entire categories of jobs at the altar of progress. But Tim Cook and Apple? A cleaner, more positive image has been part of the company’s appeal for decades, and that includes an evident focus on privacy.

This new Gmail tool, dubbed “most relevant” search, is rolling out across personal Google accounts. Google says, “It can be accessed on the web and in the official Gmail app for Android and iOS.” You can toggle back and forth between legacy “recent” and AI “relevant” results. Business users will also receive this, but not for some time.

Interestingly, this change is being timed differently for home and business users. There are increasing concerns across enterprises about proprietary and sensitive data leaking out via AI prompts with little to no governance in place.

According to Global Data (via Verdict), nearly three-quarters of businesses are concerned about the privacy and data integrity risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI), which is slowing the adoption of the technology. These researchers also warn that 59% of businesses lack confidence in adopting the technology for their organizations. Only a fifth (21%) of respondents reported high or very high adoption of AI within their organizations.”

Just as with home users, this space is evolving so rapidly that users are struggling to grasp the security and privacy implications of what’s happening on their computers and phones. The risk is that the default CISO position needs to become “no” until the proper governance and controls are available. Exciting new features are neatly presented, but they are part of a vast ecosystem of data capture and analysis. This relies on policies to protect our most sensitive data from leakage or abuse. We have seen some — we will see more.

Harmonic Security warns that “generative AI tools have become integral to modern workflows, promising efficiency and innovation; however, these benefits come with significant risks related to data security.” Despite their potential, many organizations hesitate to fully adopt AI tools due to concerns about sensitive data being inadvertently shared and possibly used to train these systems. Organizations risk losing their competitive edge if they expose sensitive data. Yet at the same time, they also risk losing out if they don’t adopt GenAl and fall behind.” Maybe one explanation for Google’s staggered timing.

In the last year, we have seen one Gmail/Workspace AI upgrade after another. This won’t stop. Therefore, it will become increasingly important for users to be clear about what they’re agreeing to, how it works, and what opt-in and opt-out options are available.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2025/03/24/google-confirms-gmail-upgrade-3-billion-users-must-now-decide/