An alert of significance has been sent out to millions of Gmail users, and it’s crucial to pay attention if you are uncomfortable with the idea of artificial intelligence quickly scanning through your emails. The latest advisory came from American TV personality and businesswoman Lori Greiner, who shared the message on Instagram.
Over the weekend, the star of Shark Tank posted a notification on Instagram urging Gmail account holders to be vigilant and share the information with friends and family to help safeguard them as well.
The warning stems from Google’s new AI smart capabilities aimed at analyzing inboxes to provide features like intelligent searches, contextual responses, and email summaries. Although Google claims it does not read messages for its own use, Greiner remains apprehensive.
In her Instagram post, the celebrity emphasized the importance of not overlooking the warning for Gmail users. She highlighted that Google has been employing AI to scan all emails, including sensitive content like financial documents, tax information, and personal conversations, without users’ knowledge.
If this raises concerns for you, there’s no need to panic as disabling this feature is straightforward. Greiner reassured users that they can deactivate it within 30 seconds by following simple steps.
To turn off AI in Gmail, access Settings and select “see all settings,” then locate and disable “Smart features” in Gmail, Chat, and Meet. By doing so, Google will cease scanning your messages. Additionally, uncheck the boxes for Workspace and other products under “Manage Workspace Smart Features” to fully restrict data usage for AI.
Google maintains that personal data is not viewed by its team or third parties, ensuring the security of all information. The tech giant clarified that its foundational AI models, such as Gemini, are not trained on personal emails. Gemini in Gmail is designed to process specific requests securely within the inbox without retaining any data afterward.
However, if the idea of AI scanning your emails is unsettling, it may be advisable to disable the smart feature in Gmail.
