Google is not done adding improvements to
Gmail.
For one thing, the search firm is extending its AI Overviews feature -- which provides summaries in response to queries -- to Gmail, which has 3 billion
users. Then there us AI Inbox, which facilitates very personalized email based on customer behavior.
“Just like they do in Google Search, AI Overviews turn information into
answers without the digging,” Blake Barnes, vice president product, Gmail, says in a blog post. “When you open an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesizes the
entire conversation into a concise summary of key points.”
Barnes adds that “when you ask your inbox a question, we use Gemini to generate a simple AI Overview with the
answer. Instead of hunting for keywords or digging through a year of emails, just use natural language, like ‘Who was the plumber that gave me a quote for the bathroom renovation last
year?’ Gemini’s advanced reasoning pulls the answer, instantly summarizing the exact details you need.”
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This may not be an unqualified boon for everyone. Publishers were
devastated early last year when Google’s AI Overviews caused traffic to plummet at 37 of the 50 top news domains, Similarweb reported.
People were just not clicking through to
links to the source web sites.
This new feature may benefit marketers when consumers are searching for products. But will they click through after reading the summaries?
Google
has been hyper-active in adding features..
In December, it introduced Gmail Connect, which allows emails and texts to be answered from the inbox. That same month, it launched a
personalized email briefings: CC. And it will soon add a feature called Help Me Write.
Then there is AI Inbox, qhich constitutes what some are calling an intelligent inbox.
"An
intelligent inbox fundamentally changes what earns attention, and we’ve seen a similar moment before," saya Shay Howe, chief atrategy officer,
ActiveCampaign "When Google rolled out the Promotions Tab, many brands feared their messages would disappear. In reality, people still wanted to hear from brands and receive deals,
but only when those messages felt relevant and worth opening. With AI inboxes, brands won’t be able to rely on volume or catchy subject lines alone. Relevance, timing, and context will matter
more instead.
Howe adds, "AI-driven inboxes will reward brands that adapt their engagement based on customer behavior – dialing back when engagement drops, changing up content,
and reaching out more thoughtfully when interest is high. This is where AI-powered segmentation and engagement scoring can help smaller brands compete with larger players."
In
conclusion, Howe says, "Instead of flooding audiences with emails that pass spam filters but still feel like clutter, marketers will personalize with intention. Just as the Promotions Tab forced
marketers to rethink indiscriminate sending, AI inboxes could be just as revolutionary as the invention of spam filters themselves. This can raise the bar for quality, personalization, and meaningful
brand communication."
AI Overviews was rolled out in Gmail on Thursday.