Introduction to Personal Intelligence
Google has introduced a new feature called Personal Intelligence, which connects Gmail and Google Photos to AI Mode in Search. This feature delivers personalized responses based on users’ own data, making search results more relevant and tailored to individual needs.
What’s New
Personal Intelligence lets AI Mode reference information from a user’s Gmail and Google Photos to tailor search responses. This feature is available to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers who opt-in. It rolls out as a Labs experiment for eligible subscribers in the U.S. in English and is available for personal Google accounts only.
How to Enable Personal Intelligence
To enable Personal Intelligence, users can follow these steps:
- Open Search and tap their profile
- Click on Search personalization
- Select Connected Content Apps
- Connect Gmail and Google Photos
How It Works
Personal Intelligence uses Gemini 3 to process queries alongside connected account data. When enabled, AI Mode may reference email confirmations, travel bookings, and photo memories to inform responses. For example, a user searching for trip activities could receive recommendations based on hotel bookings in Gmail and past travel photos.
Benefits of Personal Intelligence
With Personal Intelligence, recommendations don’t just match users’ interests — they fit seamlessly into their life. Users don’t have to constantly explain their preferences or existing plans; the feature selects recommendations just for them, right from the start.
Privacy Controls
Google emphasizes that connecting Gmail and Google Photos is opt-in. Users choose whether to enable the connections and can turn them off at any time. Google says AI Mode does not train directly on users’ Gmail inbox or Google Photos library, and training is limited to specific prompts in AI Mode and the model’s responses.
Why This Matters
This feature is the personal context feature Google teased at I/O in May 2025. For the 75 million daily active users, this could reduce how much context they need to type to get tailored responses. For publishers, the implications depend on how personalization affects which content surfaces in AI Mode responses.
Looking Ahead
Personal Intelligence is rolling out as a Labs feature over the next few days. Google says eligible AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. will automatically have access as it becomes available. It will be interesting to see whether Google provides analytics or attribution tools that let publishers track how personalized AI Mode responses affect visibility and traffic patterns.
Conclusion
Personal Intelligence has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with search engines. By providing personalized responses based on users’ own data, Google is taking a significant step towards making search more intuitive and relevant. As this feature continues to roll out, it will be exciting to see how it impacts the way we search and interact with online content.