Google's AI is eating your email by default. Here's how to shut its mouth
Google's "don't be evil" ethos is so 2015. These days, the Chocolate Factory is all about integrating users with bots, whether they like it or not. Now, it's rolling out Workspace "smart features" that process personal content with AI, and many users are finding the settings enabled by default.
Engineering YouTuber Dave Jones noticed that he had been opted into a set of new Workspace smart features without ever being asked. According to Google's help page for the features, the point of the on-by-default settings is to add its Gemini AI across Workspace in order to suck in all your Gmail, Calendar, Chat, Drive, and Meet data so that it can all be cross-referenced.
As Google notes further down on the help page - where it says the setting isn't on by default in the EU, Switzerland, UK or Japan due to those regions' more robust privacy laws and tries to justify getting users to opt in - any and all of the smart Workspace features that users enable may result in Workspace content and activity being processed to improve those features.
Google is clear on what that means, but not on that help page. You'll need to visit a different article to get the gist of what Google intends to do with Workspace user data. There, you'll find the following passage:
We do not use your Workspace data to train or improve the underlying generative AI and large language models that power Bard, Search, and other systems outside of Workspace without permission.
When users are opted into smart features without actively granting consent, however, it sets a bad precedent - how many people would think to check the privacy policy, or notice it if it changed?
A Google spokesperson told us, "These reports are misleading – we have not changed anyone’s settings, Gmail Smart Features have existed for many years, and we do not use your Gmail content for training our Gemini AI model. Lastly, we are always transparent and clear if we make changes to our terms of service and policies."
How to opt out of Workspace smart features
Others have reported that their Google accounts haven't been opted in by default to the smart features yet, but when this vulture checked his personal and work Gmail accounts this morning while writing this story, he found that both accounts had the smart features toggled on. It's worth checking yours to be sure you're opted out if you're concerned about the privacy of your personal Google data.
Start by logging into Gmail and clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the Gmail screen. From there, click See All Settings.
Once the Settings window appears, scroll down until you see the smart features field, which should be directly above Google Workspace Smart Features. Uncheck the box that turns on smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet, after which point Gmail will prompt you to reload.
Uncheck the first box, then click on the button below to turn off the rest of those on-by-default smart features - Click to enlarge
Note: If you rely on the inbox categories that Gmail added a while ago, sorry - those are only available if you leave smart features toggled on, since without them the AI won't be scanning your inbox to decide what goes where.
Double note: Google has also very helpfully stuck grammar and spell checking and autocorrect behind smart features as well, so if you toggle them off, you're going to have to rely on your own proficiency in the English language - or your OS' built-in spell checking - to keep yourself from appearing to be an idiot.
Disabling the first set of smart features won't take care of the rest of the Workspace smart features in the second category mentioned above, so the next thing you'll need to do is click on Manage Workspace smart feature settings to disable those items.
Make sure both of those checkboxes are toggled off - Click to enlarge
Once that's done, you'll be a little bit safer from Google's prying eyes - at least in theory. The Chocolate Factory hasn't been the best at honoring privacy settings in the past, so it's debatable whether these toggles will do much more than simply deprive users of useful features while Google continues to gorge itself on your personal data. ®
Correction: A closer reading of the privacy policy shows that Google has pledged not to use data from these Workspace features to train any features outside Workspace without permission. Without explicit evidence to the contrary, we'll trust Google is abiding by this policy.
