Google is expanding “Personal Intelligence” to AI Mode in Google Search, allowing the conversational search experience to use a person’s own context from Gmail and Google Photos to produce more tailored responses. The company says the feature is optional and requires users to opt in before AI Mode can connect to Gmail and Google Photos.
Google describes the update as a way to blend information from the web with insights that are uniquely relevant to an individual user. In its announcement, Google said AI Mode can use connected content to reduce how often people need to restate preferences or plans when asking for recommendations.
What Personal Intelligence adds to AI Mode
AI Mode is Google’s conversational search option designed for more complex questions, and Google says it is becoming more personalized through Personal Intelligence. With the new capability enabled, AI Mode can reference information from Gmail and Google Photos to provide responses that are more individualized.
Google and writers covering the update offered examples focused on everyday tasks like trip planning and shopping. For instance, Google says AI Mode could use a hotel booking found in Gmail and travel memories in Google Photos to suggest a more tailored itinerary, rather than a generic list of restaurants and activities.
Shopping is another area Google highlights, describing how AI Mode could consider the types of items someone buys and the brands they prefer when making suggestions. Google’s blog post includes an example where AI Mode notices a brand a user recently bought and suggests another style, and it also describes a scenario where flight confirmation details help shape recommendations for weather-appropriate clothing.
Who gets access, and how it’s rolling out
Google says the ability to connect AI Mode with Gmail and Google Photos is rolling out as an experimental feature through Search Labs. The company says eligible Google AI Pro and Google AI Ultra subscribers in English in the U.S. will automatically get access as it becomes available.
Google also says this feature is limited to personal Google accounts and is not available for Workspace business, enterprise, or education users. The company adds that as it rolls out, some subscribers will see an invitation in AI Mode, and the setting can also be managed through Search personalization and “Connected Content Apps.”
Privacy controls and model details
Google says Personal Intelligence is designed with “transparency, choice and control” as core principles, emphasizing that connecting Gmail and Google Photos is strictly opt-in and can be turned on or off. Users can disable Personal Intelligence at any time if they do not want AI accessing their emails and photos.
Google says AI Mode uses its Gemini 3 model for this experience. The company also states that AI Mode does not train directly on a user’s Gmail inbox or Google Photos library, and instead uses limited information such as specific prompts in AI Mode and the model’s responses to improve functionality over time.
Google cautions that mistakes can happen, including incorrect connections between unrelated topics or misunderstandings of context. It says users can correct the system through follow-up prompts and can provide feedback, including using a “thumbs down” option.
Google Photos adds “Me Meme” feature
Separately, Google Photos is also getting a new generative AI feature called “Me Meme,” which Google says lets users combine a meme template with an image of themselves to generate a meme-style image.
The feature is experimental, and Google says generated images may not perfectly match the original photo. It will be available first to U.S.-based users, and it is not fully rolled out yet, so some people may not see it immediately even after updating the app.
When available, it will appear under the “Create” tab, and users can generate results, save or share the image, or choose to “regenerate” for a new version.
