Overview

• Demis Hassabis unveiled the ‘next-generation email’ tool at SXSW London, explaining that it will read, categorize and reply to routine messages in users’ own tone.
• The assistant is engineered to highlight urgent correspondence and guard against algorithms that divert attention from priority tasks.
• Hassabis projected that artificial general intelligence could emerge within five to ten years, comparing its impact to a new Industrial Revolution.
• He cautioned that short-term AI hype masks profound long-term societal shifts and raised questions about equitable sharing of AI-driven prosperity.
• This initiative builds on Google’s recent launch of conversational ‘AI mode’ in its search engine and Chrome browser as part of a broader AI push.