Avec's AI Feature Scans Emails for Due Dates But Leaves Privacy Questions Unanswered

Avec Introduces AI-Powered Deadline Detection for Email Management

Avec, the AI-powered email app, has rolled out a feature called Never Forget Anything that scans emails for due dates and automatically resurfaces the message when deadlines approach. Users simply swipe left on any email they cannot address immediately, and the AI feature extracts the deadline from the message content, bringing it back to the top of the inbox on the relevant day with a clear notification1

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The email app, built by Jonathan Unikowski who previously worked as a product engineer at Replit, launched publicly in April with $8.4mn in funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners and Haystack1

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. Unikowski described the due date detection as "the real magic" behind this update, admitting his team initially lacked confidence they could pull it off reliably but now claims the feature works consistently every single time2

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Privacy Concerns Emerge as Avec Remains Silent on Data Processing

While Avec promotes its ability to help users never miss a deadline, the startup has published no detail on where the email scanning actually happens. Extracting dates from messages requires a model to parse email contents, yet Avec has not disclosed whether this processing runs on-device or server-side, nor what data is retained afterwards1

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This lack of transparency matters significantly in email management, where privacy risks are particularly acute. A user publicly questioned Avec about prompt injection attacks at launch, highlighting concerns that an assistant reading incoming mail could be targeted by malicious instructions hidden inside messages1

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. The email app category has faced similar scrutiny before, with Superhuman turning into a privacy problem years ago due to tracking pixels embedded in messages1

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Limited Availability and Growing Competition Constrain Avec's Reach

Avec currently works exclusively on iOS and Gmail, with Unikowski stating he cannot guarantee general availability levels of support outside the United States and Canada. Europeans largely cannot test the app due to these geographic restrictions1

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The AI-powered email app faces competition from multiple directions. Proton offers a writing assistant that runs entirely on-device using an open model from Mistral, with the company logging nothing either way. While Proton's assistant cannot learn from your inbox and produces more generic content, it addresses the privacy concerns Avec leaves unanswered1

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. Additionally, Google is adding agentic features directly to Gmail, the very platform Avec depends on to function1

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How Avec's Swipe-Based Interface Simplifies Email Triage

Avec has built its identity around making email feel less like a chore through swipe gestures and voice dictation. The email app lets users triage their inbox one message at a time with quick swipes, similar to swiping through a dating app, and allows dictating replies out loud instead of typing manually2

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. The new deadline detection feature requires no manual date picking or setting reminders yourself—one swipe sets everything in motion2

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Watch whether Avec addresses transparency around data processing as scrutiny intensifies. The fundamental question for AI-powered email apps is not whether the swipe works, but what your mail passes through on its way back to you1

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