Published Date : 08/06/2025
Artificial intelligence pioneer and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis has expressed his willingness to pay “thousands of dollars” to get rid of his daily emails, as he finds them overwhelming. Speaking at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival on Monday, June 2, Hassabis shared his vision for an AI-powered solution to this common problem.
Hassabis, a Nobel laureate, explained that his team at Google DeepMind is working on an advanced AI mechanism designed to manage email inboxes more efficiently. This system aims to automate the tedious task of sorting through and responding to emails, ensuring that important messages are not overlooked.
“I would love to get rid of my email. I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of that,” Hassabis stated. The new AI tool will not only manage and filter emails but will also send replies that match the user's writing style. This feature is particularly useful for maintaining personal and professional communication standards.
“The thing I really want – and we’re working on – is can we have a next-generation email?” Hassabis said. The tool is currently under development and promises to revolutionize how people handle their email inboxes by automating routine tasks and providing more efficient communication.
However, Hassabis also addressed the broader challenges of AI regulation during his speech at the SXSW festival. He emphasized the need for greater international cooperation in regulating AI, a task he acknowledged as “difficult” in today's geopolitical context.
At a time when AI is being integrated across all industries, its applications have raised significant ethical questions. These include concerns about the spread of misinformation, the impact on employment, and the potential loss of technological control. Hassabis, who has won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on AI, highlighted the importance of international collaboration to address these issues.
“The most important thing is it's got to be some form of international cooperation because the technology is across all borders. It's going to get applied to all countries,” Hassabis said. “Many, many countries are involved in researching or building data centers or hosting these technologies. So I think for anything to be meaningful, there has to be some sort of international cooperation or collaboration, and unfortunately, that's looking quite difficult in today's geopolitical context.”
Google DeepMind, a leading AI research lab, is committed to developing technologies that can benefit society while addressing the ethical and regulatory challenges that come with them. Hassabis's vision for an AI-driven email management system is just one example of how AI can enhance productivity and improve daily life, provided the necessary safeguards and regulations are in place.
Q: What is Google DeepMind working on to help manage emails?
A: Google DeepMind is developing an AI-powered system that will manage and filter emails, automatically reply to routine messages, and ensure important emails are not overlooked.
Q: Why is Demis Hassabis willing to pay thousands of dollars to get rid of his emails?
A: Demis Hassabis finds his daily email overload overwhelming and believes an AI solution can significantly improve his productivity and quality of life.
Q: What are the main ethical concerns with AI integration?
A: The main ethical concerns with AI integration include the spread of misinformation, impact on employment, and the potential loss of technological control.
Q: What does Demis Hassabis say about international cooperation in AI regulation?
A: Demis Hassabis emphasizes the need for international cooperation in regulating AI, but acknowledges the difficulty in achieving this in today's geopolitical context.
Q: What is the goal of the next-generation email system being developed by Google DeepMind?
A: The goal of the next-generation email system is to automate email management, filter and sort messages, and send replies that match the user's writing style.