Google brings Gemini AI summaries and smarter replies to Gmail inboxes

Gmail

• Gmail adds Gemini AI for email summaries and smarter reply suggestions
• Some Gemini features will be enabled by default, users must opt out if desired
• Google aims to boost Gmail's AI edge as rivals OpenAI and Anthropic grow rapidly

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Google has announced a fresh set of Gemini-powered features for Gmail, including AI-generated summaries of long email threads and more advanced suggested replies. The company said the updates will begin rolling out in phases, with some features enabled by default for users.

In a blog post on Thursday, Google said Gmail will now be able to synthesise lengthy conversations into concise summaries that highlight key points. The feature is aimed at inboxes cluttered with dozens of replies, where catching up can be time-consuming. Google described the experience as similar to AI Overviews in Search, which appear at the top of results and provide a snapshot of relevant information.

The move is part of Google’s broader strategy to embed Gemini AI across its product ecosystem. With Gmail now serving more than 3 billion users, Google is betting that its scale will give it an edge against rivals such as OpenAI and Anthropic in the fast-growing generative AI market.

Other Gemini AI features

Alongside summaries, Google is rolling out an upgraded version of its reply suggestions. The new feature, called Suggested Replies, builds on the earlier Smart Replies tool by using the broader context of a user’s inbox to generate more relevant, one-click responses. Google says this should help users reply faster while maintaining the right tone and detail for each conversation.

The company is also improving its proofreading tools within Gmail. These upgrades focus on grammar checks and rewriting messages to be clearer and more concise, building on last year’s Gemini integration that already allowed users to draft emails from prompts, search messages more easily, and generate customised responses.

Notably, some of the new Gemini features will be switched on by default. Users who prefer not to use them will need to opt out manually, a decision that may spark debate around control and user choice as AI becomes more deeply embedded in everyday tools.

The Gmail updates arrive at a time when Google’s AI push is reshaping its broader business narrative. Earlier this week, Alphabet briefly overtook Apple in market capitalisation for the first time since 2019, following a strong rally driven in part by confidence in its AI roadmap. At the same time, competitors continue to scale rapidly, with OpenAI reportedly reaching a private market valuation of $500 billion and Anthropic announcing a $350 billion valuation in a recent funding round.