Google launches AI Inbox for Gmail with personalised to-dos

Google is gearing up to introduce a new AI Inbox experience for Gmail that replaces the traditional email list with personalised summaries and suggested actions. The new update will help users manage crowded inboxes by highlighting what needs attention and what can be reviewed later, using artificial intelligence to prioritise emails.

The new AI Inbox uses Google’s AI models to analyse emails and generate a snapshot of key tasks and topics. Instead of scrolling through messages, users will see suggested to-dos, such as replying to messages, rescheduling appointments, or making payments, alongside summaries of ongoing conversations or events mentioned in emails.

Gmail AI Inbox features

In a Google demo, the AI Inbox helps by acting as a genius assistant in managing users' emails by recommending activities including "respond to a coach", "pay a sports fee", and "classify a dentist appointment".

The assistant can also transform extended email threads into a short note concerning season updates or get-togethers. The goal of the technology is to manage one’s inbox as a neat task hub and not a pile of unread messages.

According to Google's Vice President for Product in Gmail Blake Barnes, the new update gives priority suggestions on the basis of factors such as which people you email most, in addition to which emails you answer first.

Notably, there was no limit on the number of suggestions it provided until now, but Google concedes that it is a work in progress for them.

To date, AI Inbox is being introduced to trusted testers in the United States through web browsers. This service is only available to consumer accounts of Gmail but has not been introduced to Google Workspace users. Moreover, marking completed tasks in AI Inbox is not currently available but is still under development.

Other than AI Inbox, Google is introducing other AI functionalities on its Gmail platform at no extra cost. These include suggested responses and thread summary snippets written by AI, as well as the Help Me Write feature. These were only available in paid versions.