Gemini Will Use Your Google Search History to Understand You Better

Google is encouraging users to engage more with its new AI assistant, Gemini. As of today, users can choose to let Gemini access their Google search history to enhance the assistance it provides. According to Google, this capability aims to deliver more tailored results based on an understanding of your habits and preferences. The company states, "This will enable Gemini to provide more personalized insights, drawing from a broader understanding of your activities and preferences to deliver responses that truly resonate with you."

This announcement is bound to stir some controversy. Many people may find the idea of an AI analyzing their emails and search history to be unsettling, feeling like an invasion of privacy. However, Google has been tailoring advertising based on email content in Gmail for over two decades, so this isn't a new concept. Once users understand the utility of this feature, they may be more open to it. At least it's not just about serving more ads!

You can activate these new features through the Gemini app in your browser, but you must be a Gemini or Gemini Advanced subscriber. Google assures users that it will only analyze search history when its sophisticated models determine that it could be beneficial. Users can prompt Gemini with questions like "Where should I go on vacation?" or "I want to start a YouTube channel but need content ideas." You can even ask about hobbies you might pursue. If you ever wish to stop this integration of your search history with Gemini, you can easily disconnect it.

For those curious about how well Gemini can understand user interests, I gave it a try by asking for content ideas for a YouTube channel. Gemini's suggestions were quite relevant. It recommended topics related to smartphones and Android devices, aligning with my interests. Interestingly, it also suggested talking about retro technology like Tamagotchis, which I had recently been researching on eBay. One suggestion was particularly intense, proposing a focus on mental health topics stemming from my recent searches on subjects like perimenopause and anxiety.

If you decide to enable this personalization feature like I did—since I enjoy being a test subject for new technology—it's wise to ensure that any sensitive searches you perform stay out of Google's ecosystem. For those more private inquiries, consider using a different search engine, such as DuckDuckGo.

In addition to the search history feature, Google is also expanding its services today. It will make Gems available to all users, not just those who pay for Gemini Advanced. Furthermore, the DeepResearch tool, which was previously exclusive to paying users, is now free for everyone. Alongside these updates, the Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model has been introduced to enhance its ability to manage requests across various Google services, such as Google Calendar and Photos.

Gemini, AI, Google