Gemini Personal Intelligence: What Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Google chief Sundar Pichai said
Gadgets Now January 16, 2026 04:39 AM
Sundar Pichai says the new tool is a ‘top request’
Pichai described the feature as a response to a “top request” from users, explaining that Personal Intelligence combines advanced reasoning with the ability to retrieve hyper-specific details.
“Answering a top request from our users, we’re introducing Personal Intelligence in the @GeminiApp. You can now securely connect to Google apps for an even more helpful experience. Personal Intelligence combines two core strengths: reasoning across complex sources and retrieving specific details, e.g from an email or photo, to provide uniquely tailored answers," Pichai stated.
He also clarified that user data remains private and they can choose what apps to connect.
“It’s built with privacy at the center. You choose exactly which apps to connect, these connected app settings are off by default,” Pichai added.
Demis Hassabis calls it ‘an exciting step’
Hassabis added that this allows Gemini to answer questions that were previously impossible for an AI.
“With Personal Intelligence, we’re beginning to solve this. With your permission, Gemini can now securely reason across your own data to answer questions that generic models simply can't - like suggesting plans based on travel dates in Gmail or your hobbies found in Photos," Hassabis noted.
“An exciting step towards a digital assistant that’s uniquely helpful to you,” he added.
What is Gemini Personal Intelligence
Gemini Personal Intelligence gives users ability to cross-reference data types. As per Josh Woodward, VP of the Gemini app, a real-world example of using the AI at a tire shop. He explained that when he couldn't remember his car’s tire size, Gemini found the specifications, suggested all-weather options after seeing family road trip photos, and even retrieved his license plate number from an old image.
The feature is powered by the Gemini 3 models, and it can analyse text, photos and video data simultaneously. Moreover, Google says that Personal Intelligence is switched off by default.
“You also won’t have to guess where an answer comes from: Gemini will try to reference or explain the information it used from your connected sources so you can verify it. If it doesn’t, you can ask it for more information. And if a response feels off, just correct it on the spot ("Remember, I prefer window seats"). You can also easily regenerate responses without personalization for a particular chat, or use temporary chats to have a conversation without personalization,” Google explained.
“We also have guardrails for sensitive topics. Gemini aims to avoid making proactive assumptions about sensitive data like your health, though it will discuss this data with you if you ask,” the company added.
