Google has taken a significant step in the AI chatbot wars by introducing Gemini with personalization, a new "experimental capability" that allows its Gemini chatbot apps to draw on user data from other Google apps and services to deliver customized responses. This move is seen as a bid to retain users by providing content they can't get elsewhere, shaped by their internet habits.

According to Gemini product director Dave Citron, Gemini with personalization can tap into a user's activities and preferences across Google's product ecosystem to deliver tailored answers to queries. Early testers have found the feature helpful for brainstorming and getting personalized recommendations. The feature will initially integrate with Google Search and later expand to additional Google services like Google Photos and YouTube in the coming months.

This development comes as chatbot makers, including OpenAI, are attempting to differentiate their virtual assistants with unique and compelling functionality. OpenAI recently rolled out the ability for ChatGPT on macOS to directly edit code in supported apps, while Amazon is preparing to launch an "agentic" reimagining of Alexa.

Gemini with personalization is powered by Google's experimental Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental AI model, a so-called "reasoning" model that can determine whether personal data from a Google service, like a user's Search history, is likely to "enhance" an answer. Narrow questions informed by likes and dislikes, such as "Where should I go on vacation this summer?" and "What would you suggest I learn as a new hobby?", will benefit the most, Citron explained.

For example, users can ask Gemini for restaurant recommendations, and it will reference their recent food-related searches. Similarly, asking for travel advice will prompt Gemini to respond based on destinations they've previously searched. While this may seem convenient, it raises concerns about privacy, as Gemini could inadvertently air sensitive information.

To address these concerns, Google is making Gemini with personalization opt-in, excluding users under the age of 18. Gemini will ask for permission before connecting to Google Search history and other apps, and will display a clear banner with a link to easily view their Search history. Gemini will only access user Search history when they've selected Gemini with personalization, given permission to connect to their Search history, and have Web & App Activity enabled.

Gemini with personalization will roll out to Gemini users on the web, except for Google Workspace and Google for Education customers, starting Thursday in the app's model drop-down menu. It will gradually come to mobile after that, available in over 40 languages in "the majority" of countries, excluding the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the U.K. However, Citron indicated that the feature may not be free forever, with "future usage limits" potentially applying.

In addition to Gemini with personalization, Google announced updated models, research capabilities, and app connectors for the platform. Subscribers to Gemini Advanced, Google's $20-per-month premium subscription, can now use a standalone version of 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental that supports file attachments, integrations with apps like Google Calendar, Notes, and Tasks, and a 1-million-token context window.

Google also enhanced Deep Research, its Gemini feature that searches across the web to compile reports on a subject. Deep Research now exposes its "thinking" steps and uses 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental as the default model, resulting in "higher-quality" reports that are more "detailed" and "insightful." Deep Research is now free to try for all Gemini users, and Google has increased usage limits for Gemini Advanced customers.

Furthermore, free Gemini users are getting Gems, Google's topic-focused customizable chatbots within Gemini, which previously required a Gemini Advanced subscription. In the coming weeks, all Gemini users will be able to interact with Google Photos to, for example, look up photos from a recent trip.

As the AI chatbot landscape continues to evolve, Google's Gemini with personalization marks a significant step towards more tailored and personalized user experiences. However, it also raises important questions about privacy and data usage, which will need to be addressed as this technology advances.