Google has unveiled its new AI-powered feature, Magic Compose, which generates suggested text messages for users. However, the feature has raised privacy concerns as it requires the sending of up to 20 previous messages to Google’s servers to generate suggestions, even when using end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
While Google outlines these conditions on its Magic Compose support page, it assures users that it will not send messages with attachments, voice messages, or images. Nevertheless, it noted that image captions and voice transcriptions may be sent. Google first rolled out E2EE on the app in 2020 and made it available for group chats later in the year. By toggling on the feature, third parties, including Google, cannot see the user’s messages.
Despite this, when using Magic Compose with E2EE, the feature sends messages to Google’s servers. However, Google states that it cannot read them. A Google spokesperson clarified that “conversation data used by Magic Compose is not retained” and that “suggested response outputs are not retained once they’ve been provided to the user.” Once Magic Compose is turned off, Google will no longer send messages to its servers.
Google introduced Magic Compose at its I/O event earlier this month. The feature allows users to reply to text messages with stylized, suggested responses that consider the context of the messages. Users can select a suggested response and then edit the text using preset styles such as “excited,” “chill,” or “Shakespeare.”
Currently, Magic Compose is only available for Rich Communication Services (RCS) messages and is rolling out to users in the Google Messages beta program. The feature appears as a chat bubble next to the app’s message composer.
Microsoft has also unveiled a similar feature in its keyboard app, SwiftKey. Users can select the Bing icon within the app’s toolbar to compose text messages and emails, as well as change the tone, format, and length of the suggested messages.
Despite Google’s assurances, the new feature raises privacy concerns among users. The sending of previous messages to servers, even with E2EE, may expose users to potential data breaches. Privacy advocates are calling for Google to ensure that user data is protected and that users are made aware of the privacy implications of using Magic Compose.
Google’s new AI-powered feature, Magic Compose, generates suggested text messages for users. However, the feature has raised privacy concerns, as it requires the sending of up to 20 previous messages to Google’s servers to generate suggestions, even when using end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Although Google assures users that it cannot read their messages and that suggested response outputs are not retained once they’ve been provided to the user, privacy advocates are calling for Google to ensure that user data is protected.
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