Google readies Proactive Assistance for Gemini AI

Google is preparing to launch a new feature called Proactive Assistance for its Gemini AI platform, enabling the assistant to deliver personalized suggestions based on user activity without prompting. The capability, currently embedded in a beta version of the Google app on Android (version 17.18), draws from on-screen content, notifications, and data from select apps to offer timely reminders and actions.

Proactive Assistance allows users to toggle the feature on or off within Gemini settings and choose which apps can contribute data. Supported applications include Contacts, Messages, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Drive, and Keep. For instance, it could detect an upcoming test in a user's calendar and generate a practice quiz notification, as demonstrated by Google at its I/O 2025 developer conference. The feature builds on Personal Intelligence, an earlier initiative that integrates data from Gmail, Photos, YouTube, and Search for relevant suggestions.

All processing occurs entirely on the device in an encrypted environment, with Google emphasizing that the data is not used for AI training or shared with human reviewers. Users must grant explicit permissions for screen content and...