There's more artificial intelligence embedded in Gmail as Google looks to turn the world's most popular email service into a personal assistant that can help you write better, summarize distant information buried in your inbox, and deliver your daily to-do list.
New AI features announced Thursday could mark a pivotal moment for Gmail, the service that transformed email when it was introduced nearly 22 years ago. Since then, Gmail has amassed more than 3 billion users and has become almost as popular as Google's search engine.
Gmail's new AI option will initially be available only in English in the U.S., but the company is promising to expand the technology to other countries and languages as the year progresses.
The most widely available tool is the “Help Me Write” option, which is designed to learn how you write, customize your emails, and provide real-time suggestions on how to perfect your message.
Unemployment claims increase
U.S. jobless claims rose in the final week of 2025 but remain at historic lows despite signs that the labor market is weakening.
The number of Americans who filed for unemployment benefits in the week ending Jan. 3 rose by 8,000 to 208,000, up from 200,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday.
The government reported last month that the U.S. added 64,000 jobs in November, but lost 105,000 jobs in October as federal workers left following cuts by the Trump administration. This pushed the unemployment rate to 4.6%, the highest level since 2021.
The government's December jobs report will be released Friday, and analysts expect U.S. nonfarm payrolls to increase by 55,000 jobs.
