Millions of Gmail users have received an alert regarding Google’s new AI smart features, raising concerns about privacy when it comes to email content. The caution, shared by TV personality and entrepreneur Lori Greiner on Instagram, emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing the AI scanning process.

Google’s AI capabilities are intended to enhance user experiences by offering smart searches, contextual replies, and email summaries. While Google assures that messages are not read for personal use, Greiner’s message highlights the potential risks associated with AI scanning every aspect of emails, including financial documents, tax information, and personal conversations.

To address these concerns, Gmail users are advised to take action to disable AI scanning in their accounts. Greiner reassures users that this can be done quickly and easily in just 30 seconds by accessing the Settings, navigating to “Smart features,” and turning off the feature for Gmail, Chat, and Meet. Additionally, users can manage workspace smart features to further restrict AI data usage by unchecking relevant boxes.

Google maintains that personal data is secure and inaccessible to its team or third parties, emphasizing that AI models like Gemini are only used for specific tasks within Gmail and do not retain user data. Despite these assurances, Gmail users who are uncomfortable with AI scanning are encouraged to opt out of the feature to ensure their privacy.

By following these steps to deactivate AI scanning in Gmail, users can take control of their email privacy and minimize the risk of personal data exposure.