An alert of significance has been issued to a vast number of Gmail users, urging attention if you are uneasy about artificial intelligence scanning your emails. The recent warning was shared online by Lori Greiner, an American TV personality and entrepreneur.
Over the weekend, the star of Shark Tank posted a message on Instagram, advising, “Important information if you have a Gmail account. Please share with friends and family to help protect them too! Stay alert. Stay safe.”
The concern arises from Google’s new AI smart capabilities, intended to analyze inboxes and provide services like intelligent searches, contextual responses, and email digests. Although Google claims it does not read messages for personal use, this has not alleviated Greiner’s worries.
In her Instagram post, the celebrity emphasized, “If you have a Gmail account, do not overlook this warning,” revealing that Google has allowed AI to scrutinize all emails, including financial documents, tax details, and personal chats without users’ awareness.
If this raises concerns for you, the good news is that disabling this setting is straightforward. Greiner assures, “You can deactivate it in just 30 seconds.”
To turn off AI in Gmail, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to Settings and select “see all settings.”
2. Scroll down until you locate “Smart features.”
3. Disable smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet to prevent Google from scanning your messages.
4. Additionally, click on “Manage Workspace Smart Features” and uncheck boxes for Workspace and other products to fully limit data usage for AI.
Google maintains that personal data is inaccessible to its team or external parties and assures the security of all information. The tech giant clarifies that its foundational AI models, such as Gemini, do not train on personal emails and only access data for specific tasks, like summarizing emails.
However, if you are uncomfortable with the idea of AI scanning your emails, it may be wise to uncheck the smart feature box in Gmail.