Robby Stein, Vice President of Google Search Products, recently said in the Limitless podcast that one of the biggest opportunities for the company in the field of artificial intelligence lies in being able to better understand users and personalize its responses. Stein emphasized that the advantage of artificial intelligence is that it "knows you and can provide unique help for you," and pointed out that Google's AI technology tends to handle queries seeking advice or recommendations, which require more subjective and personalized answers.

💡 Deep Personalization: The Blurred Line Between Utility and Intrusiveness

In the interview, Stein mentioned that Google is using connected services like Gmail to better understand users, which was one of the core topics discussed at the Google I/O Developer Conference. Google has been integrating AI technology into its applications for some time, and recently has even imported personal data into Gemini Deep Research, and has integrated Gemini into Google Workspace apps such as Gmail, calendar, and cloud storage.

AI Robot Artificial Intelligence (1)

The strength of Google lies in the fact that this deep personalization makes AI more practical. By learning from user interactions across Google services, AI can provide more targeted recommendations, such as prioritizing brands or products that users like, which are "more useful" than general lists, representing the vision of "building a product that truly provides personalized information" for users. Stein also gave an example, stating that Google can send users notifications about products they have been considering purchasing after days of research, such as new releases or discount alerts.

However, as Google integrates more personal data—including emails, documents, photos, location history, and browsing behavior—into its AI system, the line between a useful assistant and an intrusive one is becoming increasingly blurred. The article warns that unlike services where users choose to join, as AI becomes central to Google products, it may become harder to avoid having data collected by Google. If the balance is not managed well, the result could be creepy rather than useful.

Privacy Concerns and Google's "Solution"

This deep collection and use of personal data brings to mind the plot of the Apple TV+ series "Pluribus," where the "Others" collective consciousness consumes world knowledge (including personal privacy). In the show, the system uses the protagonist Carol's data to personalize everything, but Carol feels it is an invasion of privacy and never agreed to share her data, yet the system knows more about her than she wants it to.

In the era of AI, where data privacy is increasingly blurred, Google claims to have found a solution: Stein stated that Google will indicate when its AI responses are personalized. He believes people want to intuitively know which information is specifically tailored for them and which is something everyone would see.

Google allows users to control which applications Gemini can use to understand them under "Connected Apps" in Gemini settings. If users share app data, Google will store and use this data according to Gemini's privacy policy. The policy reminds users that human reviewers may read some data