Personal Intelligence, Gemini’s biggest update yet, launches today and is one of the biggest AI innovations we’ve seen to date.
The new Google AI feature allows Gemini to access Google apps and extract your personal data to gain additional context for your queries.
A first look at Siri in iOS 27?
It seems like a new AI feature is heralded as the “next big thing” almost every day, but the examples Google has shared with the launch of Gemini Personal Intelligence are truly impressive and exciting.
One shared example was Gemini’s ability to discover the best tires for the user’s car without even knowing the model. Then Gemini could take Photos’ license plate number without even being told where to look.
Another example given was Gemini’s new ability to create an itinerary for an upcoming trip like no AI chatbot had been able to do before. Instead of simply linking the most popular places, Personal Intelligence uses all the information it knows about you to suggest specific restaurants, things to do, and even what board games to play along the way.
It looks like Personal Intelligence could be Google’s answer to the Siri that Apple promised users at WWDC 2025. Now, following the announcement of Apple and Google’s major AI partnership, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was our first look at Siri in iOS 27, just without the Apple branding.
Gemini is set to power the next generation of Siri, albeit without any Google branding, and that could mean that, just like when Gemini features launch on Pixel before a larger Android launch, this could be an early test of Siri’s upcoming capabilities before they’re repackaged for iPhone.
Privacy at its core
When you hear about new AI features that take advantage of everything you do online, it’s absolutely normal to question your privacy. But Google promises that Personal Intelligence has been built with privacy in mind, allowing you to decide exactly how Gemini connects to the apps in question.
Google says Personal Intelligence is disabled by default and Gemini only accesses data to respond to your specific requests. Because Personal Intelligence leverages other Google services, everything stays in Google’s hands, with no sensitive information sent to third parties.
Everything Personal Intelligence does will also come with a source, allowing you to see exactly how Gemini came up with the specific answer it provides. This means that if you realize that Gemini has access to specific personal information that you didn’t even know you had shared online, it can show exactly where it came from.
Personal intelligence is also restricted by security barriers for sensitive topics, meaning Gemini will only search for sensitive data information such as health if you allow it to.
It’s a very interesting feature and Google seems to be focused on ensuring that consumers feel safe sharing more personal data with Gemini than ever before. Google says Gemini won’t train directly in your Gmail inbox or Google Photos library, so you can rest assured that your privacy remains safe.
How to activate personal intelligence
So, you’ve gotten a glimpse of what Gemini can now offer thanks to Personal Intelligence and you want to start using it right away. Well, the good news is that Personal Intelligence starts rolling out today to eligible users in the US.
Personal Intelligence will work on the web, Android, and iOS and is currently only available for personal Google accounts. This is how you enable it:
- Open Gemini and tap Settings
- Tap Personal Intelligence
- Select connected apps (Gmail, Photos, etc.)
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