Gmail was always a gateway drug for the greater Google ecosystem. When it launched in 2004, Gmail stood out by offering then-wild amounts of storage for free. Despite few updates to its design in two decades, it now boasts 3 billion users and is the largest email service in the world.

And—like so much of the tech industry—Google is betting that email will sell you on its next big bet: AI.

Starting today, Gmail will begin rolling out three new AI services that will significantly impact the way you use your inbox. 

Two of the services require a $20/mo subscription to its Gemini AI service, while the third will come to all users, free. (And yes, you will be able to opt out if you don’t want them.)

The biggest, and most exciting update is AI Overviews. In essence, this is the Gmail search bar you know—that perplexing window that stares you in the face as you wonder, “what combination of keywords do I need to recall from a random message thread from 6 years ago?”

But now, the search bar is infused with AI. So you can ask anything—like, “who was the recruiter I talked to last week”—and it’ll pop up their name alongside other recruiters you may have been talking to a bullet point summary that includes names, dates, and other details from your........

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