Gmail AI Overviews at Work: What It Reads and How to Turn It Off

What Google rolled out in September 2026

Google first brought AI Overviews in Gmail search to business users in the US in April 2026. On 15 September 2026 the Workspace Updates blog announced it for global users on paid plans who have their Gmail language set to English, which includes Singapore.

Google's help article gives examples such as asking whether a customer replied about a sale, or which invoices from a supplier are still outstanding. The overview appears above the normal search results. It does not appear when you use search operators like from: or is:unread.

What AI Overviews can read in your inbox

The feature is powered by Workspace Intelligence, which lets Gemini search across a user's Gmail, Drive, Calendar and Chat for context. Google's Workspace Intelligence admin page makes three points that matter for a business:

• Permissions are respected: responses are grounded only in content the user already has permission to view.
• No training or ads: Google says your data is never used to train generative AI models or for advertising.
• DLP still applies: access to data sources is also controlled by your organisation's Data Loss Prevention rules.

So the feature does not open up anything a user could not already find with a normal search. What changes is speed: one question can pull together facts from dozens of threads, including old attachments and forwarded client details, into one summary on screen.

Admin settings that control it

Google says the feature is on by default when two admin settings are on: Gemini for Workspace in Gmail, and Workspace Intelligence access to Gmail. The controls differ by edition.

1. 1

   Open Gemini for Workspace in the Admin console

   Go to Menu, then Generative AI, then Gemini for Workspace. You need the Gemini Settings administrator privilege.

2. 2

   Open the Workspace Intelligence panel

   Available on Business Starter, Standard and Plus and on Enterprise editions. Click Edit next to Gmail.

3. 3

   Turn Gmail off for the right people

   Choose an organisational unit or group, such as Finance or HR, rather than everyone. Click Off, then Save. Google says changes can take up to 48 hours.

4. 4

   On Enterprise, use Feature access if needed

   Enterprise Standard and Plus can also switch Gemini features in Gmail on or off per service in the Feature access panel. Business editions do not have this panel.

5. 5

   Tell users what changed

   Staff who lose the feature will notice. A short note explaining why, and which teams keep it, avoids support tickets.

Google warns that turning Gmail off as a Workspace Intelligence source limits Gemini more widely: users may lose AI Overviews in Gmail search and AI Inbox. Gemini can still use an email the user is actively working on.

What users can switch off themselves

On the user side, Google's help page says AI Overviews in Gmail search needs both "Smart features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet" and "Google Workspace smart features" turned on. A user who turns either off loses the feature, along with other smart features such as AI-assisted writing. Admins can also manage Workspace smart features for users from the Admin console.

That makes the user setting a blunt instrument. For a business, the organisational-unit approach in the Admin console is usually better than asking individuals to disable smart features.

PDPA and client data: what to decide

The PDPA does not ban AI search over your own mailboxes, but you remain responsible for protecting the personal data in them and using it only for the purposes you collected it for. This is not legal advice, but these are the decisions most small businesses should make before leaving the feature on everywhere:

Our guide to Gemini in Gmail and privacy covers the wider Gemini features, and the Google Workspace security checklist covers delegation, sharing and DLP.

Do it yourself or get help?

If you are the admin of a small Workspace account, turning Gmail off as a Workspace Intelligence source for one organisational unit takes a few minutes. Help is worth it if you have no organisational units yet, delegation has grown unchecked, or you want DLP rules for personal data.

IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Microsoft 365 / Google Security Lockdown (S$590) reviews admin roles, delegation, sharing and AI settings in your Google Workspace, and sets them up so the right teams have the right features.