Gemini’s Alarming Insight: How Does It Know So Much?
Google’s Gemini integrates deeply with almost all Workspace applications, including Gmail. While testing this AI chatbot, I expected features like polishing emails to make them more professional or summarizing lengthy email threads. Instead, I got a firsthand experience of just how invasive Gemini becomes once it accesses my 16 years of accumulated emails.
More worryingly, subscribing to Google’s AI Premium automatically enables Gemini’s Gmail integration – with no explanation of how it works, nor an opt-out option. Therefore, you should strongly consider your options before signing up for Gemini using your primary Google account. If you do want to use Gemini with Gmail, or are curious how invasive it can become, this is what you need to know:
Clicking the Gemini icon in Gmail opens a sidebar where you can chat with Gemini about your emails. In testing, it could tell me useful information like when my next Trade coffee delivery was due and if I had any urgent emails to reply to. But it goes far further than that.
When asked about my first crush, Gemini could determine that it occurred in elementary school, telling me my crush’s name, how we met, and when we met. On request, Gemini also told me who my closest Facebook friends were in 2009 and who my best friend was in 2010. Gemini even explained that one of my character flaws is that I’m “too focused on what [I] want, which can damage [my] relationships, like Drake from the Uncharted games.” Correct – that is one of my favorite game series, something Gemini apparently knows.
So how does Gemini know all this? Simply put, it’s hidden throughout 16 years of email history that it can access. Why does Gemini sometimes end its messages with “Cheers, Ruben,” as if that’s how I talk? Gemini can write emails for me in my unique style with its new “smart compose” feature, but why does it also adopt my style when conversing with me?
It could just be a simple bug, but in light of my previous experience, I find the possibility of the “smart compose” feature to be equally worrying: what if Gemini includes deeply personal information in an email, which I then accidentally send off? My main takeaway is that I found the whole thing very unsettling.
Can You Trust Google to Protect Your Privacy?
What does Google do with information about my love life and character flaws? Its privacy policy is fairly explicit: when you use Gemini, Google collects a range of information, including your entire chat history. The company uses this information to improve its products and train its large language models. However, Google does not use Gemini data from Google Workspace apps like Gmail for training, ad targeting, or selling. I appreciate the assurance, but I do not entirely trust Google.
As recently as 2025, Google admitted to collecting biometric data from Texas residents without consent and agreed to a $13.75bn settlement. Furthermore, a state-sponsored organization used a vulnerability in Google Chrome to spy on users in Russia. In 2024 Google was criticized for its “misleading and aggressive” data practices. Google’s history isn’t great either, as highlighted by the Google+ user information leak in 2018 and the Gmail password leak in 2014.
With or without Gemini, my data is stored on Google’s servers, so I’m vulnerable to all kinds of hacks and data breaches. However, Gemini in Gmail means that bad actors could not only access my account or information but also have a convenient tool by which they could ask directly about almost any major event in my life over the span of almost two decades.
Should You Allow Gemini to Access Your Emails?
There is no easy answer to this question; it largely comes down to your perspective on online privacy. I don’t feel comfortable with Gemini accessing my personal emails or personal Google Drive files (another integration that happens automatically when you sign up for Gemini’s premium subscription), but professionally, I’m far more accepting of Gemini.
As someone who mostly works online from home, I am used to using accounts and devices that don’t entirely belong to me. I wouldn’t feel nearly as creeped out knowing that Gemini was analyzing my work interactions with PR reps or reviewing my meeting history. I would be happy to hear feedback on how the way I schedule meetings may be detrimental to my character.
Whether you feel comfortable with Gemini accessing your emails or elsewhere is entirely up to you. Just make sure you understand what is contained in your data and that you feel comfortable with the intimate knowledge the chatbot can gain before you decide to allow it access to your emails. For me, it’s all a bit too creepy. I don’t plan on giving Gemini access to my personal emails ever again.
Google does not explicitly state how you can turn off Gemini in Gmail, but it is possible. Go to your Gmail settings, then click the “Manage Workplace smart features settings” button. Here you can turn off smart features in Google Workplace (including Gemini). If you then click the Gemini button next time, it only prompts you to turn the smart features back on.
Deeper Dive: Privacy, Convenience, and the AI Trade-off
In the digital age, we are constantly confronted with choices between privacy and convenience. AI assistants, such as Google’s Gemini, promise the alluring prospect of automation and increased productivity. However, inherent in the use of AI-powered tools is the trade-off of potential exposure and exploitation of personal information.
Gemini’s integration with Gmail highlights this duality, offering intelligent features that can help users triage their inboxes, summarize long threads, and compose emails. At the same time, it raises questions about data privacy, security, and the role of AI algorithms in our lives.
Privacy Considerations: The Potential Risks
One of the primary concerns surrounding Gemini is its ability to access and process vast amounts of personal information. By accessing a user’s Gmail account, Gemini can gain access to sensitive data, such as personal communications, financial records, and medical information. This information can then be used for various purposes, including personalized advertising, product development, and training AI models.
While Google asserts that it does not use Gemini data from Gmail for ad targeting or model training, users may still worry that their information could be inadvertently exposed or misused by malicious actors. This concern is exacerbated by Google’s history of high-profile data breaches and privacy infractions.
The Convenience Factor: The Power of AI
Despite the privacy concerns, the convenience benefits offered by Gemini are undeniable. For those overwhelmed by email, Gemini can help streamline communication, save time, and boost productivity. For example, Gemini can summarize long email threads, highlight key information, and provide users with suggested replies.
Furthermore, Gemini can be used to automate various tasks, such as scheduling appointments, setting reminders, and tracking expenses. By streamlining these processes, Gemini can help users focus on more important things, such as their work and personal lives.
Finding the Balance Between Privacy and Convenience
Finding the right balance between privacy and convenience can be a challenge, especially in today’s rapidly evolving world. But by taking certain steps, users can mitigate the risks associated with using AI-powered tools like Gemini while still enjoying the benefits they offer.
Understand Privacy Settings: Take the time to read privacy policies and understand the privacy settings associated with each app and service you use. Adjust your settings to limit the amount of information collected and shared.
Use Strong Passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts and enable two-factor authentication for an added layer of security. Avoid reusing the same password across multiple accounts, and use a password manager to help you securely store and generate complex passwords.
Be Mindful of What You Share: Exercise caution when sharing information online, especially when it comes to personal or sensitive data. Think twice before posting information on social media or other online platforms.
Review Account Permissions Regularly: Periodically review your account permissions and revoke access for any apps or services that you no longer need. This will help minimize the risk of your data being exposed to third parties.
Looking to the Future: AI Ethics
As AI becomes increasingly prevalent, it’s essential to address the ethical concerns associated with this technology. Governments, industry leaders, and researchers need to collaborate to develop standards and guidelines to ensure that AI systems are developed and deployed responsibly and ethically.
These standards should focus on protecting individual privacy, ensuring transparency and accountability, and preventing discrimination and bias in AI algorithms. By doing so, we can harness the benefits of AI while minimizing its potential risks.