TL;DR

Google is expanding Personal Intelligence to AI Mode in Search, allowing subscribers to connect Gmail and Google Photos for highly personalised recommendations. The feature uses Gemini 3 and is available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the US.

Search That Knows Your Context

Google’s vision of search has always been about finding precisely what you need. Personal Intelligence takes this further by connecting the dots across your Google apps to deliver recommendations that fit seamlessly into your life.

The feature enables AI Mode to reference your hotel bookings, travel memories, shopping preferences, and more—eliminating the need to constantly explain your context to the search engine.

Practical Applications

Google highlights several use cases demonstrating the personalisation depth:

Travel planning: AI Mode can reference your hotel booking in Gmail and travel memories in Google Photos to suggest an itinerary tailored to your family’s preferences—from interactive museums for children to that ice cream parlour spotted in previous holiday photos.

Shopping assistance: When searching for a new coat, AI Mode considers your brand preferences and flight confirmation to suggest weather-appropriate options for your destination. It functions like a personal shopper who already knows your itinerary and style.

Whimsical queries: Users can even ask creative questions like “if my life were a movie, what would the title be?” drawing on personal context for unique responses.

Privacy and Control

Google emphasises transparency and user control. Connecting Gmail and Photos is strictly opt-in, with users able to toggle connections on or off at any time. The company states that Gemini 3 doesn’t train directly on inbox or photo library content, with training limited to specific AI Mode prompts and responses.

The feature acknowledges potential limitations—systems may incorrectly connect unrelated topics or miss context. Users can provide corrections through follow-up responses or thumbs-down feedback.

Looking Forward

Personal Intelligence is rolling out as a Labs feature for eligible Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in English in the US. The feature applies only to personal Google accounts, not Workspace business, enterprise, or education users.

For UK businesses, this signals the direction of consumer AI: deeply personalised experiences that require balancing utility against privacy considerations.