The Home Office’s refusal to issue alternative proof of immigration status outside of its electronic visa (eVisa) system could be deemed unlawful in 2026 if a judicial review against the policy is successful.
On 31 December 2024, the immigration documents of millions of people living in the UK expired after being replaced by the Home Office with a real-time, online-only immigration status.
While the department has been issuing eVisas for several years – including to European Union (EU) citizens who applied to the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) after Brexit, those applying for Skilled Worker visas, and people from Hong Kong applying for the British National (Overseas) visa – paper documents have now been completely phased out.
Instead, people are now expected to use a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) digital account to generate “share codes”, which they must use to prove their immigration status when dealing with a range of third parties, including employers and letting agencies.
As a result, a number of individuals experiencing issues with their eVisas have instructed law firm Deighton Pierce Glynn (DPG) to challenge the Home Office over the system.
“Two of our clients, BSC and JS … have now been appointed as Lead Claimants in the policy challenge which continues,” wrote the law firm in a blog post about the action.
This [court case] is a significant development … which will mean that individuals … are no longer left at the mercy of the eVisa system to prove their lawful immigration status in the UK Deighton Pierce Glynn
“In the case of BSC, a recognised refugee and survivor of trafficking, the eVisa displayed her trafficking name and date of birth. The consequences of this were wide-ranging, but most significantly, they were retraumatising, and put her at risk of losing public funds she relied on to survive.
“Whilst for JS, a vulnerable adult, the eVisa incorrectly stated that she had no recourse to public funds. As a consequence, she was denied access to public funds and had to rely on limited asylum support payments for months longer than she should have. In both cases, the eVisas were fixed months later after we issued the claims.”
DPG added that its clients were granted permission to proceed with the challenge in October 2025 by the Cardiff Administrative Court, on the basis that the grounds are arguable and that it is in the public interest for the legality of the Home Office’s policy to be determined.
The case will be heard in the Cardiff High Court on 3 and 4 March 2026.
“This is a significant development which has taken our clients a step closer to establishing a much-needed safeguard in the eVisa system, which will mean that individuals such as our clients are no longer left at the mercy of the eVisa system to prove their lawful immigration status in the UK,” it wrote.
No alternatives
Highlighting the Home Office’s refusal to issue alternative proof of immigration status despite the well-documented issues individuals are having with the system, DPG said the challenge will focus on the fact that the statutory framework does, in fact, give the home secretary the discretion to allow alternatives where appropriate.
“Her refusal to do so is therefore arguably unlawful as it is a fetter of her discretion and irrational,” it wrote, adding that while the Home Office has implemented several “workarounds” for those experiencing issues – including ways for landlords, employers and others to verify immigration status using the system, as well as means to report eVisa issues via an online form and helpline – such avenues are often “inadequate”.
DPG said this was largely due to delays on the Home Office’s end, “which leaves individuals without proof of their lawful status and exposed to the full force of the hostile/compliant environment”.
Speaking with Computer Weekly, DPG solicitor Unkha Banda said although the firm had been receiving a high volume of referrals related to the eVisa system before the phasing out of paper documents on 1 January 2025, there was a notable uptick in referrals after that date as people started facing real consequences of not having a working eVisa.
Banda added that a successful case could “open the doors for everyone to be able to benefit from it”, particularly if the Home Office is legally forced to start issuing and accepting alternative proof of status.
“That means if there are problems with an eVisa that the Home Office are taking a long time to fix, for whatever reason, then people will have something else to rely on, so there isn’t that gap in terms of access to rights and entitlements,” she said, highlighting that the case could also reduce similar gaps that may spring up with the government’s roll-out of mandatory digital ID.
“Digital IDs are going to be implemented for everyone, and I imagine the system will probably be similar to this, so if we can find ways of fixing this system before it’s rolled out to 70 million people, it would be fantastic.”
Over 10 million eVisas have now been issued, and the vast majority of people with an eVisa continue to use them without any problems Home Office spokesperson
“The Home Office can take immediate steps to reduce the anxiety that migrants are experiencing by giving them the safety of a physical or digital backup that will allow them to prove their status in any circumstances,” said Sara Alsherif, migrants digital justice programme manager at Open Rights Group (ORG), at the time, which collaborated with the authors on creating the report.
“However, root and branch reform of this system is also needed, and lessons must be learnt, especially as the government intends to roll digital ID out to everyone in the UK.”
Responding to the issues raised by the judicial review, a Home Office spokesperson said: “Over 10 million eVisas have now been issued, and the vast majority of people with an eVisa continue to use them without any problems.
“They cannot be lost, stolen, or tampered with, and provide a secure digital way to prove someone’s right to work or enter this country lawfully. We stand ready to support any users who encounter difficulties creating or using their eVisa accounts.”
While groups like ORG and the3million have directly proposed alternatives to the Home Office, such as the use of QR code or “stable token” systems, the department’s eVisa policy team insisted as far back as December 2023 that it would not “compromise on the real-time aspect” of the eVisa checks, as “any check of an individual’s immigration status must be done in real time to reflect the current immigration status held” on its systems.
“As we warned, people are having problems using eVisas to travel back to the UK,” said the ORG at the time. “We asked the Home Office to make the simple change of allowing people to have a QR code. This could be saved or printed without having to rely on a flawed online-only system.
“Many refugees are still waiting for their eVisas,” it said. “Without them, they cannot work, set up a bank account, rent somewhere to live or claim benefits. The Home Office needs to sort out this mess urgently.”
The Home Office also states in the eVisa terms and conditions that it will take no liability for any problems or disruptions, and direct or indirect losses, when using a UKVI account – including for “any information that is lost or corrupted while data is being transmitted, processed or downloaded from the UKVI account” – which ORG said implies the department “is already aware of the many technical issues with the eVisa scheme and is pre-emptively protecting itself against legitimate legal claims”.
ORG and others have said the use of eVisas should be seen in the context of the UK’s “hostile environment” approach, which is intended to make life in the UK as difficult as possible for people choosing to live there.
For Banda, the fact that the Home Office has known about all of these issues with digital-only visas for so long, without taking meaningful action to resolve them, is “quite concerning”.
She also said that despite DPG and many other organisations trying to get a sense of how widespread the problem is, the department is refusing to provide figures on the number of people reporting issues or how long it takes on average to get problems solved.
Given that millions of people are now required to prove their immigration status via the system, even a 1% error rate would mean tens of thousands of people are affected at the very least.
Computer Weekly contacted the Home Office about error rates with the eVisa system, but received no on-the-record response.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, those affected variously told Computer Weekly that the entire experience had been “anxiety-inducing,” and described how their lives had been thrust into “uncertainty” by the transition.
Each also described how the “inordinate amount of stress” associated with not being able to reliably prove their immigration status had been made worse by a lack of responsiveness and help from the Home Office, which they accused of essentially leaving them in the lurch.
According to Banda, while clients are instructed to report their issues to the Home Office first before DPG takes them on, unless the case is particularly urgent, the vast majority are given vague responses without time frames.
“Most of the time, by the time the case gets to us, nothing has changed, but we found that once we get involved and start sending pre-action letters, then they start fixing the eVisas,” she said, adding that sometimes clients’ eVisa issues are being resolved after a case has already been issued.
On the legal recourse available to people once their problems have been fixed, Banda noted that while a judicial review can only be taken forward if the issues are still active, those affected can still make civil claims for compensation if they were negatively impacted in the interim by, for example, losing out on employment or being denied benefits.
“In cases where we send pre-letters and then the Home Office fixes it, you can’t then go to court,” she said. “Or, for example, if you go to court and they fix it before the judge looks at it, then the government would start arguing that the whole case is academic because the eVisa has been fixed.”
It should be noted that even if people’s eVisa issues are resolved once, Computer Weekly has heard concerns that, because of how the system is set up to trawl dozens of disparate government databases in real time, every time a status is needed, the same people could once again find themselves without access to a working eVisa.
In a follow-up Freedom of Information request to the ICO about the volume of eVisa-related data protection complaints made in the past year, the regulator said that searching through the approximately 425 cases linked to the Home Office in that time would exceed the cost limit.
The ICO added that it does not record the requested information in a way that is easily reportable, meaning it would be required to manually search hundreds of records to identify the information requested.
you’ve probably seen a smart bird feeder or know someone who has one. They’re fairly recognizable from a distance with their clear housing, cameras, and solar panels, and perhaps a friend or family member has sent you a photo or video of a bright goldfinch or handsome woodpecker (guilty). The question at this point, then, is whether these things are really worth the $100-plus price tag. Are they actually durable? And what about the squirrel problem?
Lucky for you, we’ve been testing the most popular smart bird feeder models, including Netvue’s original Birdfy Lite feeder ($140) and Birdbuddy’s Pro ($179), for over a year—in rain, snow, and heat, and in a yard with persistent squirrels. We’ve explored the apps and notification settings, examined the photo and video quality, noted which features are hidden behind a subscription paywall, and used Cornell Lab’s All About Birds—as well as Google Lens and our own local expertise—to verify the accuracy of AI identifications.
Updated January 2026: I’ve added the solar-roof version of Kiwibit’s Beako as a new pick and new testing notes for both Birdbuddys, added a feeder from Detiko to Others Tested, and ensured up-to-date links and prices. Next up is the Coolfly Aura, a feeder with a unique modular camera system, which debuted at CES this week.
This cheery blue- or yellow-roofed feeder, from security company Netvue, is the first smart feeder WIRED tested, back in 2022. At that time, we gave it a 6/10 rating for its high price and wonky AI. Both metrics have improved dramatically since then—Birdfy’s app is now the second-most user-friendly on the market, behind only Birdbuddy, and this feeder is often on sale for $150 or less. If you pay $20 more, you get a lifetime subscription for AI identification, which is a solid deal, especially since the AI’s success rate is fairly decent. Without it, it’ll cost you $5 a month, but it’s not required to get plenty of enjoyment. This is the feeder I bought my elderly parents for Christmas during an Amazon Prime Day sale for its reliability, easy setup, and easy-to-navigate app, and it’s still going strong two years later.
The 1080p camera has one of the widest viewing angles of any smart feeder, at 155 degrees, and it offers color night vision. The IP65 plastic construction also makes this feeder durable and easier to clean, and the 50-ounce seed reservoir is super easy to fill with its convenient flip-up top. Not all bundles come with a solar panel, but you can buy it separately. Unlike other feeders, the solar panel is not built in and will have to be mounted and connected separately with the included 9.8-foot charging cable. (The Birdfy can be mounted on a pole, wall, or tree, though if you mount it on a pole using the 5-7-9 siting rule, you won’t be able to mount the solar panel.)
Best Upgrade
Kiwibit
Beako (With Solar Roof)
WIRED
Thoughtful engineering makes for easy maintenance
Solar panel works great in all weather
Very sturdy construction
8 MP photos and 4K HD video
TIRED
Pricey for a smart feeder and rarely on sale
Only works on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi
Requires a subscription for all features
This Beako model is not only one of the most thoughtfully designed feeders on the market, it’s also what I use in my own yard when I’m not testing feeders for work. The 1.5L dual-hopper plastic seed reservoir is removable from the body for refilling, so you don’t have to take the whole feeder down; the 8 MP photos and 4K HD video are much better quality than you’ll find from most competitors; and the components come apart for easy cleaning. I also tested the original version with a separate solar panel, and my only complaint was that the panel stopped charging the camera after about six weeks. There’s now a version with a built-in solar roof, which has done an excellent job keeping things charged during its six-week-long test, even in cloudy weather. The IP65 plastic body is extremely thick and sturdy, and unlike lighter-weight models, it’s designed to hold up in more extreme weather.
The app is easy to navigate, and the whole setup is fully functional without a Kiwibit Plus subscription ($4/month or $47/year, purchasable through the Kiwibit app)—it even includes AI identification as a base feature, and it’s pretty decent. However, Kiwibit Plus is necessary to access all features, mainly extended 60-day storage and the ability to record up to three minutes of video if a bird is doing something interesting, which is a unique feature among smart feeders and one I discovered I love. (Nothing more frustrating than having a video cut off right as a bird is about to do something funny.) If you’ve tried other smart feeders and found them lacking, this one costs a bit more for what it is, and it’s almost never on sale, but if you know you like having a smart feeder, I think it’s worth the investment. Note, however, that it only works on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and the warranty is half the length you get from competitors.
Best Connectivity
WIRED
Runs on 2.4 5 GHz and 5 GHz
4K Ultra HD video
Solar panel stays charged even in cloudy weather
TIRED
Heavier than most smart feeders
AI is still just OK
Subscription now required for all features
Camojojo’s original Hibird feeder has long been a reliable model in my testing stable, unique for its ability to run on both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz Wi-Fi bands—almost all smart feeders are 2.4 GHz only—and this year saw the debut of an upgraded model, the Hibird Pro. This one has built-in solar panels, an option for pole mounting, and supposedly improved AI identification, though it still frequently misidentifies even common birds in my West Coast backyard as East Coast species. The app is not as streamlined or user-friendly as Birdfy’s or Birdbuddy’s, but it’s still easy enough to navigate, with options for changing video length (default is 10 seconds) or viewing in slo-mo. Video is the default media type it saves, though this is 4K Ultra HD. Without a subscription, you can’t search past videos by bird, and cloud storage is capped at 5 GB over 60 days, though the feeder does come with a 128-GB SD card. You’ll also get “smarter” chats with the app’s AI Q&A function, “Dr. Bird,” and the ability to share across two devices ($45 year/$4 month).
I appreciate the generous 1.5L seed hopper, though this, combined with the solar panel and battery, makes this one heavy feeder. When filled, it tips the scales at 5 pounds, so if you do pole mount, you will need to use both included hose clamps. I also wouldn’t attempt to mount it on anything unstable. Other Hibird features transferred to the Pro are the assembly screws having little handles on them, so you won’t need a screwdriver, and a chunky IP66 plastic body. It was subjected to a little bit of squirrel chewing during my test, but still held up well.
Best Smart Hummingbird Feeder
Birdbuddy
Pro Smart Solar Hummingbird Feeder
WIRED
Fun and feature-rich app usable without a subscription
Built-in solar panel works great
Easy to clean and refill
TIRED
Camera doesn’t always capture all birds
Birdbuddy is known for its user-friendliness and thoughtful and fun app, and its new Pro Smart Hummingbird Feeder is no exception. Everything about its use is intuitive and easy. AI identification, 5 MP photos, 2K HD video with slo-mo—everything you need is included out of the box. A subscription is optional to unlock features like family sharing and a higher bit rate, but the feeder is perfectly usable without it. There’s also no auxiliary solar panel to worry about, as it’s built into the roof. Pairing with your phone is a cinch, integrating it into the Birdbuddy app with other feeders is a snap, and even filling it is no problem—unlike other hummingbird feeders that have weirdly cavernous capacities and/or need to be filled upside down, the Birdbuddy’s bottom screws off and holds a reasonable 1.75 cups of liquid. This is more important than you’d think, as Cornell Lab of Ornithology points out that the easier it is to clean a hummingbird feeder, the more likely you are to do it often and well.
It also comes with extra plastic flowers and a little brush to clean them with, and the app sends reminders as to when it’s time to clean. You’ll also find fun, seasonal touches in the app, like the ability to send digital bird holiday cards with your pics, or a tool to superimpose hats, clothes, and various accessories on the birds, which is actually funnier than it sounds. However, as with the Birdbuddy Pro seed feeder, below, the big downside is that the feeder’s sensor doesn’t always pick up every bird that visits, which can definitely be a bummer when you see something interesting out the window but it doesn’t show up in the app.
A Unique Smart Birdhouse
Birdfy
Nest Polygon Smart Birdhouse
WIRED
User-friendly app that compiles shareable “stories”
No subscription needed to use
Remote control allows troubleshooting without disturbing birds
Interchangeable hole sizes to attract different bird species
TIRED
Some connectivity issues
Our test model attracted no birds
Varnished interior and large cavity size may be off-putting, and audible camera click when going live could scare curious visitors
Birdfy’s Polygon Smart Birdhouse isn’t the first smart birdhouse on the market, but it is the most interesting-looking. The parallelogram-esque, turquoise-paneled shape won a Gold award at 2024’s French Design Awards, and it’s easy enough to mount on a pole, fence, or tree. All the camera equipment is located in an easy-to-open rear hatch, and there’s even a remote control at the end of a 10-foot cord to be able to charge (though it has a built-in solar panel, so you likely won’t need to) or reset the 1080p camera.
It’s simple to integrate with the easy-to-use Birdfy app, which is ready and waiting to assemble a bird’s shareable “story,” from assembly of the nest to hatching to fledgling, and finally “the end,” when the nest is abandoned for the season. Note that the camera does emit an audible click whenever it’s triggered by movement or the app, and the inside is a little larger than most birds would naturally gravitate to, though I did like that it comes with interchangeable hole sizes to interest different species. We did have a few assorted connectivity issues, and our test house didn’t attract any visitors this year, but a project director for Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s NestWatch said it should only be a matter of time.
Best App
Screenshot courtesy of Kat Merck
Birdbuddy
Smart Bird Feeder Pro
WIRED
Fun and feature-rich app
Built-in solar panel works great
TIRED
Camera doesn’t always capture all birds
Birdbuddy’s Pro model sports a snazzy new HDR camera that can also shoot 2K HD video with slow-motion capability. In addition to having a visibly larger and more advanced lens, the camera’s now got a larger focus range, 122-degree field of view, and high-fidelity microphone. (A subscription to Birdbuddy Premium for $70 a year unlocks 2K Ultra with a higher video bit rate, allowing for richer colors, sharper images, and less background noise—plus the ability to set alerts for sick or injured birds, among other things—but it’s perfectly usable without this. )
The photos aren’t nearly as impressive as those by competitors like the Birdfy Pro Duo, Camojojo Hibird, or Kiwibit Beako, and the camera, frustratingly, only captures a handful of the birds that visit. (The non-solar version is occasionally flagged as a frequently returned item on Amazon due to both this and charging issues, so I recommend the solar version.) However, Birdbuddy’s app is a consistent standout, with a user-friendly design and plenty of helpful alerts, like if a cat is detected nearby, or if it’s time to clean the feeder.
It also serves you insights gathered over time, like what time certain species seem to prefer to visit. (Finches apparently like to visit my yard at 10 am daily.) The Birdbuddy also “sleeps” at night and does not seem to emphasize capturing photos of people, so it wouldn’t make a good choice to double as a security camera, and there are also unique seasonal features like the ability to send holiday cards or “dress up” visiting birds with hats, glasses, and sweaters. (It is funnier than it sounds, really!) Both Birdbuddys work with 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi only.
Another Birdbuddy downside is the infuriatingly small, hinged opening for filling the 4 cups’ worth of seed. The feeder comes with its own spouted cup, but I have yet to fill the feeder without making an enormous mess. I also tested the 3-in-1 Nutrition Set ($39), which includes a screw-on tray that can variably become a water fountain, jelly dish, or fruit stake for fruit-loving species like orioles. I’ve used it as a jelly dish and water fountain and found that it blocks enough of the perch area that birds tend to shift out of camera view to avoid it. However, this feeder is still worth it for those who like a more streamlined app experience and/or want to take advantage of some of its unique sharing features, especially Premium’s ability to share your feeder livestream with others.
If You Want to Use an Existing Bird Feeder
WIRED
Flexible design allows you to use an existing bird feeder
High-quality photo and video
Works with 5 GHz Wi-Fi
TIRED
Only has 90-degree field of view
Only comes with a wall mount
Solar panel has to be mounted separately
If you have an existing bird feeder you like, or are interested in building your own and are just looking for a camera, Hibird’s stand-alone DIY feeder camera is for you. It’s compatible with both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz Wi-Fi bands—a rarity for bird feeder cameras—and the cute green owl face streams the same 4K HD video and 1080p pics as the bigger Hibird feeder, above. There is a subscription tier with features like increased storage, but the camera is still usable without it. There’s an auxiliary solar panel included for charging, and you can mount it via its ¼-inch nut on the included bendable arm and bracket, or jury-rig a custom solution. It pairs seamlessly with the Hibird app, with access to AI (which is just OK), livestreaming, and the Dr. Bird ChatGPT-like feature, where you can ask bird-related questions. (The answers are corny and not as granular as they could be, but it still could be useful for some.)
A Truly Squirrel-Proof Design
TT Nature
Squirrel-Proof Metal Bird Feeder
WIRED
Design really deters squirrels
Can be pole-mounted
TIRED
Design also deters larger and even medium-sized birds
App is not user-friendly and requires a subscription
Solar panel must be mounted separately
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first—the app for this feeder is not good. Not only is it suspiciously called “Birdty,” it’s not intuitive to navigate and requires a subscription to access all features—including AI identification, which is terrible. I have also seen this feeder body (TT Nature offers it in green or red) sold from time to time under other Amazon insignias, so it’s not unique to this brand. However, those usually have solar panels attached to the roofs, from which squirrels can hang upside down to avoid tripping the spring-loaded perch. This one leaves off the panel (there is one that can be mounted separately, but it’s not possible when the feeder is pole-mounted, which is what I recommend), but it doesn’t need it, as the charge from the 5,200-mAh battery lasts well over a month.
I had my test unit sited on a pole with a baffle far from fences and overhanging branches, and though an occasional squirrel would still manage to find the feeder, the spring-loaded perch mechanism worked as intended—a squirrel tries to sit, and a bar flips up to block access to the seed. (There’s also a squirrel alarm feature that can be toggled on and off in the app, but in my experience, those never work.) I have seen squirrels try to chew through the sides, but given that the body is metal, their efforts are fruitless.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) in Greater London is in the process of contacting households across the borough after establishing in December that personal data on thousands of residents was stolen in a cyber attack on shared systems operated by the council.
Over a month after the incident, several services remain disrupted or are operating in a limited capacity. Residents may experience longer service response times, difficulties with revenue or benefits processing and delays to payments and Direct Debits, and issues with housing and social care.
RBKC did not reveal the precise nature of the data it knows to have been exfiltrated, but council leader Elizabeth Campbell told the BBC that RBKC was being proactive in informing people who may be potential victims.
“We decided to go out immediately and say to people this is what’s happened, this data has been copied and it has been taken and you should be aware therefore you are at risk,” she said.
“We are now going through all the documentation to see if there are specific places where we know that someone’s been at risk – and then we will contact them directly.”
In the meantime, RBKC is directing residents to follow established advice and guidance from the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on protecting oneself from cyber criminal activity such as digital fraud or identity theft, and staying safe online.
Residents should be especially alert to unexpected emails or messages asking for financial or personal information – particularly those that imply a sense of threat or urgency; ignore any unsolicited attachments or links; and interrogate any inbound contacts from individuals purporting to be from RBKC Council who ask for sensitive details.
Keven Knight, CEO of Talion, a managed security services provider, said: “It’s not clear exactly what data was compromised, but given that councils hold highly sensitive personal information on residents … it could provide an attacker with the opportunity to craft highly convincing and tailored phishing correspondence that could be used to dupe victims further.
“One of the other major concerns is that this type of data can’t be easily changed, so once it lands in an attacker’s hands, it stays there forever.
“Residents are therefore advised to be extremely cautious of any correspondence around the incident – whether coming in via email, phone calls or post. All victims have this breach in common, so it is likely attackers will use the incident as their first opportunity to dupe victims,” said Knight.
Daily attacks
RBKC said it was dealing with cyber crime and related issues almost daily, highlighting that it stopped and isolated over 113,000 phishing attempts against its systems in the third quarter of 2025 alone.
“It is not unusual for councils and other public sector organisations to be targeted in cyber-attacks – especially by criminals looking for personal information or sensitive data,” a spokesperson said. “In fact most local authorities are under constant attack. In 2024, the local government sector reported over 150 incidents to the Information Commissioner’s Office.”
The council still believes that thanks to the nature of the attack and the data involved it will take several months to complete its investigation and remediation.
All three councils share access to as-yet unspecified IT systems owned by RBKC, and prior to the festive break, Westminster City Council also confirmed that its “potentially sensitive and personal” data was also exfiltrated by the unnamed threat actors.
Strategic limits
Dan Panesar, chief revenue officer at data protection and risk mitigation (DPRM) specialist Certes, said it was “particularly uncomfortable” that breaches continue to hit organisations such as RBKC and its neighbours given the UK government has ploughed millions of pounds into cyber defences.
Unfortunately, RBKC’s experience highlights the strategic limits of a defensive approach to security, he suggested.
“Local authorities hold some of the most sensitive data in society, social care, housing and safeguarding records and once that data is copied, no amount of ‘containment’ can reverse the damage,” said Panesar.
“The real issue is strategy. Public-sector cyber defence is still overly focused on keeping attackers out, rather than assuming compromise and making stolen data unusable. Until those changes are made, these breaches will continue regardless of how much is spent on perimeter controls.”
Google is putting even more generative AI tools into Gmail as part of its goal to further personalize user inboxes and streamline searches. On Thursday, the company announced a new “AI Inbox” tab, currently in a beta testing phase, that reads every message in a user’s Gmail and suggests a list of to-dos and key topics, based on what it summarizes.
In Google’s example of what this AI Inbox could look like in Gmail, the new tab takes context from a user’s messages and suggests they reschedule their dentist appointment, reply to a request from their child’s sports coach, and pay an upcoming fee before the deadline. Also under the AI Inbox tab is a list of important topics worth browsing, nestled beneath the action items at the top. Each suggested to-do and topic links back to the original email for more context and for verification.
Courtesy of Google
Despite the continued spread of generative AI features, the underlying reliability of these tools remains iffy. Back in 2023, when Google’s chatbot was still called “Bard,” I tested the company’s nascent Gmail extension that tried to summarize my messages and search through the inbox for insights. At the time, this extension was a complete bust, with a bevy of incorrect responses.
Since then, Google has worked to better its base AI model, called Gemini, and integrate those improvements into its suite of existing software services, including Gmail as well as Search. Despite the company’s advances in AI, current Gmail users are still shown a disclaimer stating that Gemini “can make mistakes” when attempting to search an inbox and answer questions.
Courtesy of Google
For users who are concerned about their privacy, the information Google gleans by skimming through inboxes will not be used to improve the company’s foundational AI models. “We didn’t just bolt AI onto Gmail,” says Blake Barnes, who leads the project for Google. “We built a secure privacy architecture, specifically for this moment.” He emphasizes that users can turn off Gmail’s new AI tools if they don’t want them.
At the same time Google announced its AI Inbox, the company made free for all Gmail users multiple Gemini features that were previously available only to paying subscribers. This includes the Help Me Write tool, which generates emails from a user prompt, as well as AI Overviews for email threads, which essentially posts a TL;DR summary at the top of long message threads.
Courtesy of Google
Subscribers to Google’s Ultra and Pro plans, which start at $20 a month, get two additional new features in their Gmail inbox. First, an AI proofreading tool that suggests more polished grammar and sentence structures. And second, an AI Overviews tool that can search your whole inbox and create relevant summaries on a topic, rather than just summarizing a single email thread.
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