I gave Gemini my search history and now it may know me for good

Listen, I’ve seen all the movies, and every fiber of my being tells me that less is more when it comes to AI. I mean, the last thing I want is that something is built through my apartment to walk Hal 9000 on me and let my cats wonder what went wrong. And yet, when Google allowed me to leave Gemini Browse my search history to understand me better as a user, I signed up completely. Here’s the reason.

As established, I know I don’t want an AI assistant to take over my life – not even Google Assistant. I don’t want to give it control over smart lights or smart locks, and it’s not much that Google will do to change it. However, I am everything to have a chatbot that I can ask and receive tailor -made answers, and there is pretty much what Gemini with personalization experiment is designed to do. I have already run the searches through Google, but this is just giving someone (or rather something) that is not a chance to put them in context.

Also, as long as privacy options go, the information that Gemini gets access to and how it uses it reasonably transparent from Google. The experiment is not just to sign up for something which means you can opt out at any time-but Gemini will also give you very clear notice when you connect it to your search history. From there it will only use your search history When you switch down to personalization mode and it will not rely on previous searches if you ask a simple question such as “What are the most popular dog breeds in America?”

In the future, Google plans to give Gemini with personalization access to other services and ExtensionsLike your photos and YouTube stories, which lets it bring even more information into your chatter and give you even more detailed answers. I’m not sure if I’m going to stay completely on board for so long – something about letting Gemini go through my photos and the videos feel even more personal than the random things I search for Google – but we want to cross that bridge when we get to it.

There are still a few limits on how to access Gemini with personalization and who can actually test it out. It is currently limited to personal Google accounts, which means that education and Work area Users have to wait a little longer for access. Google also activates Gemini with personalization on browsers first, with a mobile roll -out to follow, so I have largely used it through Safari on MacBook Air.

Anyway, let’s get to my impressions of using a chatbot that knows me as well as I know myself.

When I made my reservations about having an AI assistant who knows me too well to the site, I decided to put my recently personalized Gemini to the test. Besides, just because Gemini can now see everything I ever – at least I ever think – applying, it doesn’t mean I know how it’s going to use that information. So I started with a simple question that would give Gemini plenty of search to work with: “What football team should I start messing up?” Then I pressed Enter and opened the drop -down menu to see Gemini doing its work.

After rattling an incredibly long list of teams that I had previously applied for-in addition to many teams that had only appeared while checking League positions-and taking many of my previous Baltimore-related searches due to Geographic Relevance, Gemini had two answers for me: the local third-tier Nisa side.

Interestingly, just one of these answers impressed me, Baltimore City FC, since I didn’t know my city has an amateur football team (Nisa is not recognized as a professional by American football from 2025). The reason I am less impressed that Gemini recommends Philadelphia Union to me is because I already follow the union and have previously participated in a match or two. It is also not the nearest MLS side for me, with DC United much more accessible by car or train. It would also have been nice for Gemini to show some love to Nwsl Despite my problems with the streaming setup.

Anyway, with a half -decent answer under the belt, I decided to give Gemini with personalization a bit of a tougher test. Right now I’m a distance runner without a race to run, so I wanted to see if Gemini could make any recommendations. Not only that, but I want to make the said race for some vacation, so I want other things to do while I’m there. So I opened a new chat and started the conversation with, “Which marathon or half marathon could I use as a basis for a holiday this summer?” I reopened the Show Thinking category and waited to see what information Gemini needed.

Surprisingly, Gemini did not give much time on a list of searches as reference points, instead of going through several of their own Google results. It chose exactly that I am in Baltimore – which we have established – so it decided to avoid local races and those in neighboring countries, instead chose to propose a long list of European alternatives due to the strong football culture in most European countries. Gemini’s three best choices included Copenhagen half, the Paris Hem and Berlin half, although two are early in the spring, which may be a bit tight for me to make travel arrangements.

So with the original three options from the table, Gemini Had their own follow -up questions for me, including whether I preferred a full or a half marathon and whether I wanted to run past specific nature. I replied that I preferred half a marathon and was open to trail running, which sent back a whole new set of alternatives, mostly located in Switzerland and Austria.

Then I chose one out and asked for some running shoe recommendations – a theme I have spent more than my part of my time researching. Gemini gave two sets of results, some based on general searches and some based on my preferences, and let me make my final decisions. None of the results were poor, although the section based on my searches was more specific, and recommended Hokas Speedgoat 6 instead of just suggesting something like Saucony’s Peregrine Series.

I want to admit that I am somewhat surprised by Gemini with personalization – not because it was perfect, but because it behaved like Google said it would. Despite having access to my entire search history, it did not tailor my answers exclusively on my interests, especially when it comes to recommending shoes for a running run. If I wanted, I could probably press Gemini on things to do around my chosen running run, as well as a little more on the football culture in the area, but I was glad enough to establish a baseline of what Gemini knew and what it did not do.

I want to go so far as to admit that I am far less creeped out of Gemini with personalization than I thought I would be. I’m not sure I love how many Baltimore-related keywords ranged off while asking what football team to support, but it never felt like it was using my exact location, either-heading just a relative area. I also don’t think I’m pretty ready to give Gemini further control of some parts of my smart home yet but I’d like to see Gemini with personalization come to my Pixel 9 Pro So that I can ask the same type of questions and get very in -depth answers even when I’m not around the laptop.