Gmail users have a fresh security challenge to watch out for — the mix of your Gmail inbox, Calendar, and AI assistant might pose unexpected risks. From malicious prompts hidden in emails or calendar invites to compromised assistants secretly extracting information, users need to stay cautious.
According to Google, “a new wave of threats is emerging across the industry with the aim of manipulating AI systems themselves.” These risks come from “emails, documents, or calendar invites that instruct AI to exfiltrate user data or execute other rogue actions.”
The integration of Gemini into Gmail was designed to simplify inbox management with smarter search, replies, writing assistance, and summaries. Alongside this, Google has rolled out another significant Gmail feature — expanded client-side encryption (CSE).
As announced on October 2, this feature is now “generally available.” Gmail users with CSE can send end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messages to anyone, even non-Gmail users. Recipients simply receive a notification and can view the encrypted message through a guest account — offering secure communication without manual key exchanges.
However, these two major Gmail updates — Gemini AI and encryption — don’t work seamlessly together. Users must choose between AI assistance and total privacy. When CSE is active, Google confirms that “the protected data is indecipherable to any unauthorized third-party, including Google or any generative AI assistants, such as Gemini.”
That means Gemini cannot access encrypted messages, which aligns with how encryption should work — but it limits AI functionality. Google adds that the new encryption will be “on by default for users that have access to Gmail Client-side encryption.” While the encryption isn’t purely end-to-end since organizations still manage the keys, it still offers stronger protection than standard emails.
When it comes to Gemini’s access to your inbox, Google advises users to “apply client-side encryption to prevent Gemini’s access to sensitive data.” In short, enabling encryption remains the most crucial step to ensure privacy in the age of AI-driven email management