Google’s Gemini is about to get way more personal with your data

According to Android Authority, an APK teardown of Gemini reveals a new “Sources” button in the Deep Research section that lets users choose which Google services to include in queries. The options include Search, Gmail, Drive, and Chat, marking a significant expansion from the current limited file selection approach. Gemini would be able to sift through your entire Google Drive account and Gmail inbox when selected as sources, though the research report generation isn’t currently functional. This contrasts sharply with the existing Deep Research feature that forces users to manually choose specific files. The new approach eliminates the need to hunt for particular files or messages and could handle bulk searching across multiple sources. Users would also gain the ability to exclude web searches entirely when they only want answers from their personal data.

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The privacy versus convenience tradeoff

Here’s the thing – this is basically Google saying “trust us with all your data, and we’ll make your life easier.” And they’re not wrong. Manually picking files in Drive is a pain when you’re not sure what you’re looking for. But handing an AI the keys to your entire digital life? That’s a whole different level of access.

Think about it. Your work documents, personal emails, chat histories – all suddenly searchable by an AI that’s constantly learning. The convenience is undeniable, but so are the privacy implications. Will businesses feel comfortable letting employees use this with company data? Probably not without some serious safeguards.

Where this leaves the competition

Microsoft must be watching this closely. Copilot already integrates with Office 365, but Google’s approach feels more… comprehensive. By tying together Search, Gmail, Drive, and Chat, they’re creating an AI that understands your entire digital context. That’s something even Apple’s coming Siri improvements might struggle to match.

And what about smaller AI players? Companies like Anthropic and Perplexity can’t possibly compete with this level of ecosystem integration. Google’s playing a game only the biggest tech giants can play – leveraging decades of user data and infrastructure. It’s their home turf advantage on steroids.

Will people actually use this?

The big question is whether users will embrace this level of AI access to their personal information. We’ve seen people hesitate with smart speakers listening in their homes – will they feel differently about an AI reading their emails? Probably depends on how much value they get back.

If Gemini can genuinely save hours of searching and provide insights you wouldn’t have found otherwise, many will happily make the trade. But if it’s just a fancier search bar? Then all that data access starts looking pretty one-sided. The success of this feature will live or die on how useful those research reports actually turn out to be.