Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, and other email services need a big change. The reason is AI — and not in a good way. Companies like Symantec, Cofense, and most recently Hoxhunt are warning that powerful AI tools are now being used to create and carry out dangerous email attacks. These AI attacks are very hard to stop. Gmail users especially need to pay attention because recent updates have caused serious problems.

Hoxhunt says that AI can now fool even expert security teams by sending fake emails that look very real. These AI tools can send personalized attacks to many people at once. Google, Microsoft, and others say they stop over 99% of spam, phishing, and malware emails. Still, millions of dangerous emails make it through — and the number will grow fast as AI attacks increase.

That’s why I believe email needs a full redesign, not just small fixes. We need email to work more like fast, simple messaging apps that people now use instead. It should also protect users using secure, on-device tools — not add security later. We already expect this kind of built-in security in other communication apps.

Email can’t just be patched to improve — it needs to be rethought completely. Gmail has made some useful changes like better sender checks, AI filters in the cloud, and plans for protected email addresses. But its last two updates show how hard it is to fix email using the current system.

This month, Google said it’s making encrypted emails easier to use for businesses. This is the basic level of security we already expect in calls, video chats, and messages. But email is harder to secure because of how open it is. That’s why this update is starting with companies first.

Ars Technica and other sources have pointed out that the excitement after Google’s big announcement might be a bit too much. Google said, “Gmail now has end-to-end encrypted messages.” But the truth is, it’s not really full end-to-end encryption. That’s because the security keys are stored on the user’s side of the system, not all the way at the final “end” of the message.

Ars Technica points out that the new feature might help companies that need to follow strict rules about using end-to-end encryption (E2EE). But it’s not really meant for regular users or people who want full control over their own messages. Privacy advocates should pay attention to this.

True end-to-end encryption (E2EE) happens on the user’s device. It handles how encryption keys are shared between the sender and receiver. The only real way to make E2EE email work is through closed systems like ProtonMail, which uses passwords to protect emails sent to people outside their network.

With new tools like Meta’s third-party messaging and GSMA’s RCS E2EE update, we’re getting closer to having strong encryption across different platforms. RCS will be the first major messaging system to allow E2EE between apps made by different companies. Email doesn’t work like that yet, but it’s a step forward.

Gmail’s security uses something called Client-Side Encryption (CSE). This keeps an organization’s data private, so even Google can’t read it. It’s mostly for businesses that need to protect sensitive data like intellectual property, health records, or financial info. It’s not really meant for personal emails between individuals.

Then there’s another new feature: AI-powered search. Just before Gmail rolled out its E2EE feature, Google announced that Gmail search is getting smarter. Now it uses AI to show you more relevant results based on things like how recent emails are, which ones you click the most, and who you email often.

But using this smart search means letting AI scan your data. Google says they respect user privacy and let people control what smart features they use in their settings.

Here’s the catch: E2EE and AI search don’t work together. They’re both added onto an old email system that wasn’t built for today’s needs. Google confirmed that AI search can’t access E2EE messages—because Google doesn’t have the key to read them.

That’s how it should be. But from a user’s point of view, there’s a problem: these two big new features—strong encryption and smart search—can’t be used at the same time. Email isn’t very secure by nature, and adding AI raises new privacy concerns that email can’t fully solve. That’s one reason why so many people and businesses now prefer messaging apps instead of email.

So now, you’ve got a choice to make.

Published: 10th April 2025

For more such articles please follow us on Twitter, Linkedin & Instagram

Also Read:

Top Cities for Real Estate Investment This Year
FBI Alert: Avoid Answering These Risky Phone Calls
Why Dividend Stocks Are Back in Favor with Investors