Google’s guru of Gmail says there are 3 different types of AI users, and the tech giant is putting ‘trust’ first for all of them

Since stepping into his role as vice president of product for Gmail in January 2025, Blake Barnes has been tasked with shepherding one of the internet’s most beloved platforms into the generative AI revolution. His overarching vision, he told Fortune in a recent interview, is to bring Gmail into the “Gemini era,” transforming it into a “personal and proactive inbox assistant” for its 3 billion global users. To this end, Gmail launched a suite of AI-powered updates this January, including AI overviews in Gmail Search, where you can “ask your inbox anything.” It also introduced a feature where A

Since stepping into his role as vice president of product for Gmail in January 2025, Blake Barnes has been tasked with shepherding one of the internet’s most beloved platforms into the generative AI revolution. His overarching vision, he told Fortune in a recent interview, is to bring Gmail into the “Gemini era,” transforming it into a “personal and proactive inbox assistant” for its 3 billion global users. To this end, Gmail launched a suite of AI-powered updates this January, including AI overviews in Gmail Search, where you can “ask your inbox anything.” It also introduced a feature where A