Today, Google announced one of the most requested Gemini features, now available in beta. Called Gemini Personal Intelligence, it allows users to connect Gemini with Google Photos, Google Drive, and other Google apps to receive more personalized responses.
With a single tap, users can link Gemini to Gmail, Photos, YouTube, and Search. Once connected, Gemini can reason across these sources and retrieve specific details. For example, users can ask for the license plate number of a car they recently traveled in, and Gemini will recognize it from their photos. They can also ask about a specific hotel they stayed at in New York City five years ago, with Gemini searching through their Gmail history to find the answer.
Google also highlighted the privacy aspects of this feature. Even though Google already has access to Google Drive and Google Photos data, connecting to these apps from Gemini is off by default. Users must enable this feature and decide exactly which apps to connect. Since the data is already with Google, Gemini doesn"t have to copy the contents elsewhere to generate personalized responses. This is a key differentiator for Gemini, as ChatGPT will not have this kind of access to Google apps.
Personalized responses will also include references to the connected sources, allowing users to verify the information when required. Google also mentioned that Gemini will avoid making proactive assumptions about sensitive data, such as health information. However, it can answer health questions if users ask for them specifically. Even when this feature is enabled, Google will not train directly on Gmail inboxes or Google Photos data. Instead, they will train on limited information, like specific prompts in Gemini and the model’s responses.
This new personal intelligence feature will be rolling out over the next week to select Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. The feature will work across the Web, Android, and iOS. Google also confirmed that this feature is coming to AI Mode in Search soon. It is important to note that this feature will work only with personal Google accounts and not for Workspace business, enterprise, or education accounts.