Google Taps Machine Learning To Improve Gmail Search On Mobile

Google announced today that the search function for Gmail on mobile is getting an upgrade. The new feature will implement machine learning in order to give users more efficient and relevant search results when looking for specific emails using the search bar. Starting June 2, this new feature will gradually roll out over the next 15 days to Google Workspace customers, as well as anyone who uses a personal Gmail account.

If you're a Gmail user, nothing needs to be done to access the new feature. You won't have to update your app or add an extension. You can use the search bar to type in relevant keywords for the emails you're looking for, and Google's new algorithm will take over from there. Previously, results from such a search would simply list any and all emails that contain the keywords you've searched, in order of most recent to oldest. 

With its new machine learning models, Gmail will now present you with a dedicated "Top Results" section from your search, featuring emails from your inbox based not just on the keywords you input, but also your "most recent emails and other relevant factors to show you the results that best match your search query." Underneath this new algorithm-generated section, you'll then get a traditional, full list of all search results sorted by recency.

This new feature by Google is a potential response to the sudden explosion of AI tools being implemented across all sorts of apps and other use cases. Google has already incorporated its own generative AI model into Google Docs, where users can work with AI built directly into the word processor. Google Search, the company's most well-known and popular feature, could at some point potentially be replaced by more advanced generative AI models as well.

However, the new search feature being added to Gmail on mobile isn't the same as generative AI models. Unlike AI, which aims to mimic human intelligence, machine learning uses algorithms to make fairly straightforward predictions based on the data that's been analyzed. While AI and machine learning are not the same, Google rolling out the new feature to Gmail could still be a response to both users and shareholders who see AI as the next big thing in tech. In its announcement of the new search function, Google called it a "highly-requested feature." Whether this new tool is a response to industry trends or a long-planned project (or both), it doesn't really matter for mobile Gmail users. Either way, using machine learning, you can now find the emails you're looking for more quickly and efficiently.