The new update allows Google’s AI-powered Search mode to draw context from users’ Gmail and Photos, delivering tailored recommendations for shopping, travel and everyday queries while keeping the feature optional and limited to select subscribers.
Google has begun rolling out “Personal Intelligence” to AI Mode in Google Search, extending a capability it recently introduced within the Gemini app. The move is aimed at making search results more contextual by allowing AI Mode to factor in a user’s personal data—when permitted—to deliver more relevant and customised responses.
According to the company, Personal Intelligence enables AI Mode to reference information from Gmail and Google Photos to better understand user preferences, habits and past activities. This added context is designed to help AI Mode go beyond generic answers and instead provide insights tailored to individual users.
How personalised search works in practice
With the update, AI Mode can assist users with tasks such as shopping recommendations, travel planning and activity discovery by analysing past interactions and memories. For example, when searching for new products, AI Mode can identify brands a user has purchased before and suggest similar or related options that align with their taste.
Google says the feature can also enhance travel planning. If a user searches for things to do during an upcoming trip, AI Mode can reference hotel bookings found in Gmail and past travel photos stored in Google Photos. Using that context, the system can suggest personalised itineraries suited to family members, preferences and previous experiences.
Rather than returning a standard list of attractions or restaurants, AI Mode aims to create customised recommendations—such as kid-friendly museums or dessert spots—based on visual cues and historical behaviour captured in a user’s photo library.
Availability, privacy and access controls
Google has emphasised that Personal Intelligence in AI Mode is strictly opt-in. Users must actively choose to connect Gmail and Google Photos to Search in order to receive personalised responses. The feature is currently being rolled out through Search Labs to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States.
The company clarified that the feature is available only for personal Google accounts and does not apply to Workspace accounts used for business, enterprise or education purposes.
Addressing privacy concerns, Google stated that AI Mode does not directly train on users’ Gmail inboxes or photo libraries. Instead, limited information is used within specific prompts and responses to improve functionality over time, without broadly ingesting personal data.
The expansion of Personal Intelligence highlights Google’s broader push to make AI-driven search more adaptive and user-centric, while attempting to balance personalisation with transparency and user control.
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