Uncategorized

Google Adds AI Tools to Gmail, Aiming to Turn Email into a Personal Assistant

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Google is rolling out new artificial intelligence features in Gmail to help users write emails, summarise information, and manage tasks. The move is part of the company’s push to make Gmail more than just an email service, turning it into a personal assistant that can organise users’ inboxes and improve productivity.

The AI features, announced Thursday, are initially available in English in the United States, with plans to expand to other languages and countries later this year. One of the main tools, called “Help Me Write,” is designed to learn a user’s writing style and offer real-time suggestions for composing or refining emails.

Subscribers to Google’s Pro and Ultra services will also gain access to a feature similar to the AI-powered Overviews tool in Google Search. This allows users to type conversational questions into Gmail’s search bar to quickly extract information buried in their inboxes.

Another experimental feature, “AI Inbox,” is being tested with a small group of trusted users in the US. It can scan inboxes to suggest to-do lists and highlight topics that may require attention. Blake Barnes, Google vice president of product, described the feature as an effort to make Gmail “proactively have your back.”

All of the new functionality is powered by Google’s latest AI model, Gemini 3, which was integrated into its search engine in 2025. The update received widespread attention and prompted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose company makes ChatGPT, to declare a “code red,” highlighting the competitive pressure in the AI sector.

While the new features could make Gmail more useful, they also raise potential risks. Experts warn that AI-generated content may occasionally be misleading or incorrect, and privacy concerns persist when AI systems access personal emails. Google said users can turn off the features at any time and proofread AI-suggested content before sending.

To address privacy, Google said no personal content processed by Gmail’s AI will be used to train the Gemini models. The company has also implemented engineering measures to protect inbox information from external access.

Gmail, which launched nearly 22 years ago and now serves more than three billion users worldwide, has faced privacy scrutiny before, particularly when it introduced targeted ads based on inbox content. Google says the new AI tools are designed with safeguards to prevent similar concerns from arising.

The rollout represents a significant step in Google’s effort to integrate AI across its services, potentially reshaping how people interact with email and manage information online.

Uncategorized

UK Watchdog to Investigate DHL-Evri Parcel Merger Over Competition Concerns

Published

7 months ago

June 12, 2025

Web Reporter

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced it will examine a proposed merger between German logistics giant DHL’s British ecommerce unit and UK delivery firm Evri, raising concerns about potential impacts on market competition.

The deal, first revealed last month, would see DHL take a minority stake in a newly combined group with Evri. The merged company is set to become one of the largest parcel delivery operators in the UK, with over 30,000 couriers and van drivers, and an additional 12,000 staff.

In a statement on Wednesday, the CMA confirmed it will review the transaction and has opened an invitation for interested parties to submit their views by June 25. The regulator will then formally begin a phase one investigation to determine whether the deal could result in a substantial lessening of competition.

According to shipping data from Pitney Bowes, Evri was responsible for 14% of parcel deliveries by volume in the UK in 2022. The new entity is expected to handle over 1 billion parcels and 1 billion letters annually, according to estimates from both companies.

DHL and Evri have positioned the deal as a strategic move to enhance customer service, expand shipping options, and improve operational efficiencies. “This transaction enables the combined entity to offer a better service and a wider range of shipping options, as well as increasing efficiencies through the interlinkage of two complementary parcel networks,” a DHL spokesperson said.

They added that the companies are “comfortable with the ownership structure” of the new group and “excited about the growth opportunities this partnership brings.”

The CMA’s investigation will be closely watched by stakeholders in the ecommerce and logistics sectors, as the UK delivery market continues to consolidate amid rising consumer demand and technological innovation. Industry observers note that any significant shift in market share could impact pricing, service standards, and smaller competitors.

The DHL-Evri merger comes at a time of rapid transformation in the UK’s parcel delivery industry, with consumers expecting faster, more flexible delivery options and companies under pressure to improve efficiency while managing costs. If approved, the combined entity would be well-positioned to compete with market leaders such as Royal Mail, Amazon Logistics, and DPD.

A decision from the CMA on whether to proceed to a more detailed phase two investigation is expected later this year.

News

Social Media’s Role in UK Riots Linked to Deep-Seated Issues, Scholar Says

Published

1 year ago

August 6, 2024

RTX

Social Media's Role in UK Riots Linked to Deep-Seated Issues

A scholar in sociology at the University of London has suggested that while social media played a role in the recent violent protests across the UK, the real driver behind the unrest lies in deeper, latent issues within society.

Dr. Stephanie Alice Baker pointed out that the violence and unrest triggered by recent incidents are symptomatic of a larger, underlying problem. “The tipping point of the violence highlights a much broader issue that has been simmering beneath the surface,” Baker said. She emphasized that social media’s role in the riots was largely symbolic, facilitating communication and solidarity among protesters rather than directly inciting violence.

Baker attributes the unrest to a sense of “denied freedoms” and threats to national sovereignty, which have been exacerbated by increasing immigration and a cost-of-living crisis. “There are emerging feelings of nationalism, a sense that people are being left behind, and concerns that their freedoms are under threat. These grievances are often projected onto ‘the other’,” she explained.

The UK has experienced a week of intense violence, with anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans dominating the clashes between crowds and police. The riots, which have spread across more than a dozen towns and cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool, and Belfast, were ignited by right-wing activists who used social media to spread misinformation about a tragic knife attack that killed three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed event.

Baker believes that these right-wing groups were already harboring significant grievances and seized the opportunity to act out their frustrations. “The sight of others engaging in violence can embolden and enable people to join in,” she noted.

The unrest, described as some of the worst Britain has seen in years, has resulted in hundreds of arrests. Rioters have been involved in violent confrontations with police, looted shops, and attacked hotels housing asylum-seekers. In response, the government has vowed to enforce the law strictly against the rioters and has deployed a “standing army” of specialist police units to manage the situation.

As the new government struggles to restore order, the underlying societal issues highlighted by Baker remain a pressing concern, indicating that addressing these deeper problems may be essential to preventing future outbreaks of violence.