Google DeepMind CEO Unveils AI-Powered Email Revolution: The End of Inbox Overload?

Death to Gmail? Google DeepMind CEO Wants AI to Solve This One Annoying Problem

Katie is a UK-based news reporter and features writer. Officially, she is CNET's European correspondent, covering tech policy and Big Tech in the EU and UK. Unofficially, she serves as CNET's Taylor Swift correspondent. You can also find her writing about tech for good, ethics and human rights, the climate crisis, robots, travel and digital culture. She was once described a "living synth" by London's Evening Standard for having a microchip injected into her hand. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis might have won a Nobel Prize for his work on AlphaFold 2, an AI model that can predict protein structures, but the solution to the problem he really wants to solve still evades him. The problem in question is infinitely easier to grasp and more relatable than Hassabis' work in the field of chemistry. "The thing I really want that we're working on is next-generation email," he said, speaking at SXSW London on Monday. "I would love to get rid of my email." Based on the crowd reaction, it was a popular sentiment in the room, where earlier that day, the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted to sending only one email for the entire 10-year period he was in office. There is some irony to Hassabis' quest. The prize-winning scientist is responsible for developing some of the most complex and sophisticated AI models the world has ever seen, all in aid of working toward cures for diseases that are beyond anything we have access to today. His mission to render email (presumably Gmail?) - an annoyance of our own human invention - obsolete feels like small fry in comparison. But it also exposes the duality of Hassabis' responsibilities at Google. He is, and always has been, deeply committed to pursuing AI for the benefit of humankind. "My personal passion is applying [AI] to the frontiers of science and medicine," he said. At the same time he is beholden to the corporate interests of Google, which acquired DeepMind in 2014. Hassabis always imagined the development of AI to be more of a "scientific-led endeavor," spearheaded by a computer science equivalent to CERN, the famed particle physics lab in Switzerland. But the technology went a different way, becoming commercially viable much quicker than he anticipated. From there, he said, "the capitalist engine has done what it does best." Hassabis almost speaks as though he is separate from the "capitalist engine," but of course he is deeply embedded within it. DeepMind being owned by Google means that as well as pursuing his passion project of curing disease with AI - arguably the most noble use of AI - he must split his attention to ensure Google's AI products, from Gemini to Veo and everything else the company announced at I/O last month are up to scratch in a competitive market. The competition is "ferocious" and it's a hefty work schedule for one man, who says he sleeps very little and doesn't expect to until "we get to AGI," or artificial general intelligence. Along with developing DeepMind's core AI models, and translating them into science, he continues to pursue the development of AGI, or AI that fully matches (or exceeds) human intellectual capabilities. "My feeling is that we're about five to 10 years away," he said. His vision for AGI is that it will unlock a world in which "we can cure many, many diseases - or maybe even all diseases," and "unlimited renewable energy." In some ways, the Google products are stopping off points on the way. One of the reasons DeepMind has built Veo 3, its latest video generation software, said Hassabis, is that AGI needs to have a physical understanding of the world around it. The world models built for Veo 3 are key to this understanding. In turn, these world models will be essential for a breakthrough in robotics, which Hassabis believes is due in the "next few years." While it's sometimes not clear where DeepMind's worthy mission ends and Google's commercial priorities kick in, it's clear that Hassabis is finding ways to make it work for him, and his long-term pursuit of an AGI breakthrough. In spite of the seismic shift he predicts this will cause, even he is skeptical of the hype around AI in the short term. "I mean, it couldn't be any more hyped," he said. "Therefore, it is a little bit overhyped."

Google working on AI email tool that can 'answer in your style'

Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind, says he wants AI to clear inboxes by making 'some of the easier decisions' The march of artificial intelligence is predicted to bring monumental changes on a par with the advent of the internet or even the Industrial Revolution. But before all that, one of the technology's leading figures wants it to solve a more urgent problem - the tyranny of the email inbox. Demis Hassabis, the head of Google DeepMind, has revealed he and his team are working on "next-generation email" that will deal with the daily grind of sorting through emails, replying to the most mundane ones and avoiding the need to apologise profusely for missing an important message. Hassabis was speaking at the SXSW London festival about the extraordinary growth and potential of AI. He said its impact was "overhyped in the short term", but would lead to profound longer-term changes to society. However, he said before the technology was ready to cure all known diseases or solve the climate crisis, he was putting it to work on the world's email backlogs. "The thing I really want - and we're working on - is can we have a next-generation email," he said. "I would love to get rid of my email. I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of that." Asked exactly what he had in mind, he said he planned "something that would just understand what are the bread-and-butter emails, and answer in your style - and maybe make some of the easier decisions". Hassabis said that he could also see AI being used to protect people from other algorithms designed by big tech to drain their attention away from more important tasks. "I'm very excited about the idea of a universal AI assistant that knows you really well, enriches your life by maybe giving you amazing recommendations, and helps to take care of mundane chores for you," he said. "[It] basically gives you more time and maybe protects your attention from other algorithms trying to gain your attention. I think we can actually use AI in service of the individual." Hassabis said he had initially anticipated that the battle to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) - a more human-like cognition that is able to work on a wide range of tasks - would be driven by scientific academia. However, he said its applications had been so immediate that big companies had become involved much earlier than he thought. With continuing concerns about the dangers posed by AGI, he called on the US and China to cooperate over its development, which has been turning into a race between companies and countries. "I hope at least on the scientific level and a safety level we can find some common ground, because in the end it's for the good of all of humanity," he said. "It's going to affect the whole of humanity." He said an AGI was about five to 10 years away. "That is very short if you think about how momentous a moment that will be," he said. "I think it'll be nothing short of a new Industrial Revolution, effectively. For something this fundamental, I think it's important to try to have as much foresight ahead of time as you can." There remain serious concerns about the impact of AI on jobs. However, Hassabis said there were versions of an "AI utopia" in which "radical abundance" was created, as the technology solved issues around energy production and consumption. He called on academics to think about the consequences. "Even in the good case where we get radical abundance and economic prosperity, can we make sure that's fairly shared, and fairly distributed," he said. "These kinds of things need to be thought through. I hope economists are thinking about that and I encourage them to be thinking about that - and social scientists."

Google AI chief Demis Hassabis wants AI to kill email once and for all

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, has revealed that his team is building an AI-powered email system to ease the burden of daily digital communication. Designed to read, sort and respond to emails in the user's writing style, this tool aims to save time and reduce missed messages. Speaking at SXSW London, Hassabis described the feature as essential and urgent, even as he pursues larger ambitions in artificial general intelligence. He believes AGI could be just a decade away.Artificial intelligence might one day solve climate change or cure every known disease. But for Demis Hassabis, the immediate goal is something more personal -- clearing your inbox. Speaking at the SXSW London festival, the Google DeepMind CEO shared that his team is building a next-generation AI-powered email assistant. One that not only filters and organises messages, but responds to them on your behalf in your own tone of voice. "The thing I really want - and we're working on - is can we have a next-generation email," Hassabis said. "I would love to get rid of my email. I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of that." It's a frustration many can relate to. Overflowing inboxes. Missed messages. The guilt of delayed replies. DeepMind's upcoming tool, still in development, aims to solve all of that. It will identify routine emails, generate responses based on a user's writing style, and surface only what matters most. This could mean no more digging through threads or issuing apologies like, "Sorry for the late response." And crucially, it could defend against the growing pressure of other online algorithms competing for your attention. "It basically gives you more time and maybe protects your attention from other algorithms trying to gain your attention," he said. "I think we can actually use AI in service of the individual." For someone credited with leading breakthroughs like AlphaFold 2 -- the AI system that cracked the protein folding mystery -- tackling email might seem like a curious step down. But it's not, he suggests. Hassabis is juggling two major roles. At DeepMind, he leads high-stakes scientific research. At the same time, he feeds innovation into Google's consumer products, such as the Gemini chatbot and video generation model Veo 3. This balancing act reflects the wider tensions shaping AI's direction. "The capitalist engine has done what it does best," he said, noting how commercial demands have pushed AI into public use faster than originally imagined. Still, he remains focused on the long-term: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). AGI is not science fiction, at least not for Hassabis. He predicts that such systems -- capable of performing any intellectual task that humans can -- could arrive within five to ten years. "That is very short if you think about how momentous a moment that will be," he said. "I think it'll be nothing short of a new Industrial Revolution." In this scenario, AI could unlock what he calls "radical abundance." That includes everything from curing diseases to delivering limitless clean energy. But Hassabis warned that even a best-case future demands careful preparation. "Even in the good case where we get radical abundance and economic prosperity, can we make sure that's fairly shared, and fairly distributed?" he asked. "I hope economists and social scientists are thinking about that." He also urged countries to come together, particularly the US and China, to steer AGI development safely and cooperatively. "In the end, it's for the good of all of humanity," he said. "It's going to affect the whole of humanity." Despite AI's growing footprint, Hassabis hasn't lost faith in traditional skills. He believes students today must still master mathematics, physics, and computer science if they want to understand the systems reshaping the world. "It's still important to understand fundamentals" in mathematics, physics, and computer science to comprehend "how these systems are put together," he said. At the same time, he urges young people to embrace AI tools as part of their learning and work. Over the next decade, he expects new types of jobs to emerge -- ones that reward those who are comfortable working with and alongside intelligent systems. AI will create "new very valuable jobs" in the coming years, particularly benefiting "technically savvy people who are at the forefront of using these technologies," he said. As DeepMind advances its frontier research, it may be an email tool -- not a medical breakthrough -- that lands first in your hands. The irony isn't lost on Hassabis. For now, amid all the bold promises of AGI, he's starting small. An inbox that takes care of itself. A message that never gets lost. And one less reason to say, "Sorry for the late reply."

Google DeepMind Boss Says He'd Pay Thousands To 'Get Rid' Of His Email -- So He's Building An AI To Do It - Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)

Demis Hassabis, the head of Google DeepMind, has disclosed that his team is working on a new email system that will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to handle the daily email grind. What Happened: Hassabis revealed the initiative at the SXSW London festival, where he highlighted that Google DeepMind is in the process of developing an AI tool to manage emails. The tool is designed to sift through emails, respond to routine ones and prevent crucial messages from being missed, reported The Guardian. The new email system is designed to understand and respond to routine emails in the user's style, thus eliminating the need to apologize for missing important messages. Hassabis is also exploring the potential of AI to protect individuals from algorithms designed to divert attention from critical tasks. "The thing I really want - and we're working on - is can we have a next-generation email," stated Hassabis. Despite the hype around AI's potential, Hassabis believes its impact is overhyped in the short term. However, he expects profound changes in the long term. He said that before using the technology to cure diseases or address climate change, he was first applying it to tackle global email backlogs. "I would love to get rid of my email. I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of that," the DeepMind CEO said. SEE ALSO: This Isn't A 'Great Sign' For Bitcoin, Says Top Currency Trader: 'Whales Are Once Again....' Latest Startup Investment Opportunities: Rad IntelDealMakerMin. Investment$1,000IndustryAIGet Offer Elf LabsDealMakerMin. Investment$974IndustryTechGet Offer Why It Matters: This announcement comes on the heels of Google's introduction of an "AI mode" in its search engine and Chrome browser, offering a conversational, question-and-answer experience, similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. This move was seen as an attempt by Google to stay ahead of competitors like OpenAI. Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOG has been strategically positioned for the AI era of consumer internet, according to Goldman Sachs, despite investor concerns about the value of Google Search. The recent developments in AI by Google, including the new email system, are indicative of the company's commitment to AI innovation and its potential to revolutionize various aspects of daily life. Benzinga's Edge Rankings place Alphabet in the 84th percentile for quality and the 89th percentile for growth, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here. On a year-to-date basis, the shares of Alphabet dropped 10.63%. READ MORE: Federal Reserve's Preferred Inflation Gauge Falls To 2025 Low, But Jerome Powell Maintains 'Wait-And-See' Stance Amid Tariff Uncertainty Image via Shutterstock Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. GOOGAlphabet Inc$168.60-1.04%Stock Score Locked: Edge Members Only Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Unlock RankingsEdge RankingsMomentumNot AvailableGrowth88.53Quality85.09Value51.79Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewGOOGLAlphabet Inc$167.20-1.08%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs