A few weeks ago, I was standing in my kitchen making my daughter’s breakfast while scrolling through my emails. What stood out wasn’t what I was reading, it wasn’t the subject lines, or the fact that at 42 years old I still enjoy Coco Pops, it was how easy everything felt.

And the more I’ve read, the more confident I’m feeling.

So when Google announced that Gmail is “entering the Gemini era,” I did not join the collective gasp that echoed across the industry. I shrugged and thought, ‘about time’, and the more I have read since, the more confident I feel.

What’s changed in Gmail?

At a high level, Gmail’s move into the Gemini era introduces features that do matter for email marketers, but nothing that should come as a surprise.

Things like:

• AI-driven inbox prioritisation
  Gmail is getting better at showing emails it believes the user wants to read.
• Email and thread summaries
  Long email threads can now be summarised by AI (some of you may already be using this feature with other inbox providers).
• Context-aware assistance
  Gmail can help users draft, reply to, or interact with emails more efficiently.

The important thing to understand is that none of this is about blocking marketing emails. It is about prioritising relevance. And that distinction matters.

Inbox Providers Aren’t Changing Direction - They’re Accelerating

AI did not suddenly appear and turn inboxes upside down overnight; inbox providers have been moving in this direction for years, using improved filtering, engagement-based prioritisation, tabs, and other signals to understand user preferences, and AI has simply accelerated that process.

The likes of Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail etc. aren’t interested in how they can fill inboxes with more emails anymore. They are focused on helping people cope with what has become an overwhelming flood of emails. And as a consumer? I LOOOOVE THAT. I don’t want more emails; I want fewer and better quality ones.

It’s Too Early to Declare the End of Email Marketing

One of the most sensible reactions to Gmail’s announcement has been the reminder that it is too early to assume everyone will embrace an AI-organised inbox.

We’ve been here before.

Remember the panic around the Promotions tab? Many marketers assumed their emails would be hidden, ignored, or rendered ineffective. In reality, adoption was far more mixed. Research suggests that only around half of users actively use tabbed inboxes, with many turning them off or ignoring them entirely.

That context is important. AI inbox features will not create a single, uniform experience. Some users will love them. Some will dislike them. Others will disable them altogether.

Inbox Providers Want to Show People What They Want to Read

This is where things get more interesting for email marketers. AI inboxes are not designed to hide emails; they are designed to surface what recipients want to see, essentially what is relevant.

There’s a big difference between the two.

If someone has signed up to receive your emails because they genuinely value them, whether that is a newsletter, content series or even promotional offers, AI does not suddenly disregard that interest. In fact, it reinforces it.

The risk sits elsewhere. Brands that rely on sending the same message to everyone, send infrequently without a clear reason, or treat email as a volume game may find this shift uncomfortable. But for senders who consistently deliver content their audience wants, AI should work in their favour, not against them.

The Real Risk Isn’t AI - It’s How Most Brands Send Email Today

Now this is the part that’s going to be hard for a lot of brands to hear. Unfortunately, not all brands are email marketing well. Too many still rely on generic messaging, weak segmentation, surface-level personalisation, and a poor understanding of deliverability fundamentals.

These approaches were never strong, and AI has not made them weak; it has simply removed the safety net.

For a long time, volume helped mask poor practices, but sending more to compensate for a lack of intent no longer works, and engagement now matters more than ever.

This Rewards Good Senders - And That’s a Good Thing

Now here’s why I think this will be a good thing for those of us doing it properly. Up until now we’ve been competing in busy inboxes against the noise of brands bullying their way to awareness. However, we’re about to see these emails get positioned based on interest. And emails that customers actually want to read, given a bit more breathing room. Better-than-average senders now have a better chance than ever of being seen. AI doesn’t punish email marketing. It punishes bad email marketing. And like I said at the beginning – “it’s about time.”

Don’t Panic – Just Be Better

If the thought of AI in the inbox is making your palms a bit clammy, that’s probably a sign worth listening to. Not because email is dying - but because you likely know that something in your current approach isn’t as good as it could be. It’s highlighting the need to understand your current state of play. You will need to identify where there are gaps that need filling and areas that need improving. The fact is, you can’t improve what you don’t understand.

AI Isn’t Killing Email - It’s Forcing us to do it Better

Finally, I’m shouting this as loud as I can: email isn’t going anywhere, but it is being held to a higher standard. The brands that will struggle are those that continue doing the same thing, hoping nothing changes. For everyone else, this is an opportunity to finally do email properly. Brands that focus on relevance, respect, and real value won’t just survive this shift, they’ll benefit from it.