DeepMind CEO teases future where Gmail writes back like you—mundane emails may finally meet their match
Tired of typing the same “Thanks, noted” replies to meeting invites or explaining PTO in slightly varied tones to different colleagues? Google might have a fix on the way—and it’s not just a fancy autocomplete. The company is developing an AI-powered email system that mimics how you write. And no, this isn’t science fiction anymore.
In a bold declaration at the SXSW London festival, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, said they’re working on “next-generation email.” It won’t just understand what the message is about—it’ll actually respond in your tone, like you personally wrote it. That’s right. Google wants your inbox to sound like you, not like a robot with a spellcheck addiction.
AI That Feels Personal, Not Robotic
This isn’t your typical “smart reply” tech. According to Hassabis, the goal isn’t to give you a list of polite pre-written replies. It’s deeper. The vision is about AI that recognizes which emails are routine, figures out your usual phrasing, and handles it.
No fuss, no extra steps. No overthinking whether to write “Cheers” or “Thanks again.”
The idea? “Emails that just get sorted in the background,” Hassabis said. He joked that he’d pay thousands of dollars a month just to be free of email completely—drawing a chuckle from the crowd. But clearly, behind the humor, there’s a serious plan in motion.
Here’s What This Could Look Like
While we don’t have a working demo (yet), Hassabis did drop a few clues on how the system might behave:
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It will likely sort your emails based on urgency and tone.
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It might respond automatically to scheduling emails, follow-ups, reminders, and info requests—anything that doesn’t need deep thought.
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It’ll write replies that match your usual communication style. Formal for work? Friendly for friends? It’ll adapt.
And that’s the point—making it feel less like AI and more like you on autopilot.
Potential Features We Might See
Based on what’s being said and what Google has already done with AI in Workspace, here’s a reasonable expectation list of what might show up in future Gmail updates:
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Context-Aware Drafts: Full email responses based on past messages, calendar entries, or documents.
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Voice-Style Emulation: Not just what you say, but how you say it.
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Smart Delegation: It could route emails to colleagues or departments based on topic.
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Decision Support: Offers automatic yes/no/counter responses for meeting invites or proposals.
This isn’t fantasy. A lot of the building blocks are already there in Google’s AI suite, especially after its Gemini model began rolling out advanced summarization and writing tools.
Not Just a Time Saver—A Mind Saver?
Demis Hassabis isn’t kidding when he says email is a “mundane” problem AI needs to solve first. Most white-collar workers spend hours each week just responding to emails. Some reports estimate the average professional spends 28% of their week on email alone. That’s roughly 11 hours per week.
For reference, here’s how email overload looks statistically:
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average work emails per day | 121 (Radicati Group) |
| Time spent on email per week | ~11 hours (McKinsey & Co.) |
| Emails responded to after hours | 47% (Harvard Business Review) |
| Workers who check email constantly | 84% (Adobe Survey) |
It’s clear. This isn’t just a convenience—it’s a mental health upgrade. Cutting down on cognitive clutter could have wide-ranging productivity effects.
What About Privacy?
Good question. And one that hasn’t been answered yet.
While Hassabis didn’t go into detail, privacy and data handling will be a key factor in rollout. Google’s had its fair share of criticism over data handling, especially within Gmail. But it has also invested heavily in on-device AI processing and user controls.
Will this new system learn your tone locally on your device? Or will it need server-side access to your entire email history? That’s still unclear.
Also unclear? Whether this would be an exclusive perk behind Google’s new premium AI subscription plan—something that’s becoming more likely with every new AI feature launch.
Could This Be Part of Gemini or Something Bigger?
Possibly. Gmail already includes several AI-based writing tools, especially with Gemini integration on Google Workspace. But Hassabis’ framing of “next-generation email” hints at something larger—a completely reimagined inbox experience.
Think Gmail not as a tool you open every morning but as a background app that only flags what you need to see. A personal email assistant, fluent in your voice, handling the rest. Like having your own clone filtering noise and forwarding only the signals.
And if this ties into Google’s broader Gemini AI plans? Expect a tighter sync across Docs, Calendar, and Meet too.
