Google’s AI Mode Can Now Use Your Gmail and Photos to Personalize Search Answers

Google has expanded the capabilities of AI Mode in its search engine by introducing a feature called Personal Intelligence, allowing the AI to tap into users’ Gmail and Google Photos to deliver more personalized responses to queries. Traditionally, AI Mode provided conversational answers based on general web data, but this update lets it incorporate context from a user’s own emails and images to tailor suggestions and insights — for instance, using travel bookings in Gmail and holiday pictures in Photos to craft travel recommendations or suggest places to visit.

Personal Intelligence is an opt-in feature currently rolling out in the United States as part of Google Labs for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers using personal accounts. Users must choose to connect their Gmail and Photos to AI Mode; the system does not automatically access personal content without permission. Once enabled, AI Mode can better understand a user’s preferences and history, making responses more relevant and helpful without needing the person to repeatedly specify details.

Google has highlighted examples of how this personalization works: AI Mode might suggest a tailored itinerary that combines hotel bookings from Gmail with memorable spots captured in Photos, recommend products based on past purchases, or prioritize results that match a user’s lifestyle and interests. The company says personalized recommendations help users avoid repetitive instructions and produce answers that “fit seamlessly” into their real lives.

Despite the deeper integration, Google emphasizes that Personal Intelligence is designed with privacy and control in mind. The feature is strictly optional, users can disconnect services at any time, and the AI does not train its underlying models directly on personal Gmail or Photos data; instead, it uses the content only when generating specific responses in AI Mode sessions.

The move reflects Google’s broader push to embed artificial intelligence more deeply across its services, leveraging its ecosystem to offer users a more customized search experience. As AI technologies become more central to everyday digital tasks, features like Personal Intelligence could reshape how people interact with information and use search to plan, shop and organize their lives.