One of Google's biggest advantages in the AI race is the huge amount of data it has on users.
In the Limitless podcast, Robby Stein, Vice President of Product Management at Google Search, shared that Google's biggest opportunity lies in its ability to understand users and create more personalized replies than any of its competitors.
Robby Stein said that most of the queries sent to Google Search are questions that need advice or recommendations.
This is a group of queries that easily generates subjective feedback, which AI can do better if it understands the personal context of users.
Our AI has a great opportunity to get to know you better, thereby becoming uniquely useful thanks to that knowledge, said Robby Stein.
One of the directions Google is pursuing is to let AI learn from services that have connected to users, such as Gmail.
Google has been integrating personal data into AI models for a long time, since the Gemini period, when Bard was still named.
Recently, Gemini Deep Research and Gemini versions in Google Workspace such as Gmail, Calendar or Drive continue to expand the range of information that AI can access such as email, photos, documents, location and web browsing history.
However, this level of deep personalization also raises concerns. When AI understands too much, from shopping preferences, favorite brands, travel habits... the line between "powerful assistants" and "supervision systems" becomes blurred.
Unlike some optional services, avoiding Google's data collection is getting more difficult as AI is integrated into every core product.
Google argues that it is this level of understanding that makes AI more useful. If Gemini understands user preferences, it can make more accurate recommendations, instead of displaying a general product list.
Robby Stein believes that Google's goal is to build a model that can provide in-depth knowledge for each person.
The similarity that many people mention is the image of the collective intelligence system in Apple TV's Pluribus series, where AI knows every detail about each individual to give a "compressed" response but makes the main character feel violated.
Similarly, users may not feel comfortable feeling that Google's AI knows too much about them.
Google said it has a balancing solution that AI will display clearly when feedback is personalized. Users can control which applications Gemini uses in the "Connected Application" section.
The company also reminded that some data could be vucked by insiders to improve the system.
However, as more and more data flood into the AI system, the risk of privacy ambiguity is easy to see.
Mr. Stein affirmed that Google is trying to maintain transparency and look forward to a future where search engines become a proactive assistant to help users in many aspects of life.
The remaining question is whether users will feel served or tracked.
