Google AI chief Demis Hassabis wants AI to kill email once and for all
Artificial intelligence
might one day solve climate change or cure every known disease. But for
Demis Hassabis
, the immediate goal is something more personal—clearing your inbox.
Speaking at the SXSW London festival, the Google DeepMind CEO shared that his team is building a next-generation AI-powered email assistant. One that not only filters and organises messages, but responds to them on your behalf in your own tone of voice.
'The thing I really want – and we're working on – is can we have a next-generation email,' Hassabis said. 'I would love to get rid of my email. I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of that.'
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It's a frustration many can relate to. Overflowing inboxes. Missed messages. The guilt of delayed replies. DeepMind's upcoming tool, still in development, aims to solve all of that. It will identify routine emails, generate responses based on a user's writing style, and surface only what matters most.
This could mean no more digging through threads or issuing apologies like, 'Sorry for the late response.' And crucially, it could defend against the growing pressure of other online algorithms competing for your attention.
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'It basically gives you more time and maybe protects your attention from other algorithms trying to gain your attention,' he said. 'I think we can actually use AI in service of the individual.'
Behind the inbox: A bigger picture
For someone credited with leading breakthroughs like AlphaFold 2—the AI system that cracked the protein folding mystery—tackling email might seem like a curious step down.
But it's not, he suggests. Hassabis is juggling two major roles. At DeepMind, he leads high-stakes scientific research. At the same time, he feeds innovation into Google's consumer products, such as the Gemini chatbot and video generation model Veo 3.
This balancing act reflects the wider tensions shaping AI's direction.
'The capitalist engine has done what it does best,' he said, noting how commercial demands have pushed AI into public use faster than originally imagined.
Still, he remains focused on the long-term: Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
AGI on the horizon
AGI is not science fiction, at least not for Hassabis. He predicts that such systems—capable of performing any intellectual task that humans can—could arrive within five to ten years.
'That is very short if you think about how momentous a moment that will be,' he said. 'I think it'll be nothing short of a new Industrial Revolution.'
In this scenario, AI could unlock what he calls 'radical abundance.' That includes everything from curing diseases to delivering limitless clean energy. But Hassabis warned that even a best-case future demands careful preparation.
'Even in the good case where we get radical abundance and economic prosperity, can we make sure that's fairly shared, and fairly distributed?' he asked. 'I hope economists and social scientists are thinking about that.'
He also urged countries to come together, particularly the US and China, to steer AGI development safely and cooperatively.
'In the end, it's for the good of all of humanity,' he said. 'It's going to affect the whole of humanity.'
Advice to the next generation
Despite AI's growing footprint, Hassabis hasn't lost faith in traditional skills. He believes students today must still master mathematics, physics, and computer science if they want to understand the systems reshaping the world.
'It's still important to understand fundamentals' in mathematics, physics, and computer science to comprehend 'how these systems are put together,' he said.
At the same time, he urges young people to embrace AI tools as part of their learning and work. Over the next decade, he expects new types of jobs to emerge—ones that reward those who are comfortable working with and alongside intelligent systems.
AI will create 'new very valuable jobs' in the coming years, particularly benefiting 'technically savvy people who are at the forefront of using these technologies,' he said.
As DeepMind advances its frontier research, it may be an email tool—not a medical breakthrough—that lands first in your hands. The irony isn't lost on Hassabis. For now, amid all the bold promises of AGI, he's starting small. An inbox that takes care of itself. A message that never gets lost. And one less reason to say, 'Sorry for the late reply.'
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