Google began rolling out a new feature called Magic Compose in its Messages app, which uses artificial intelligence to help users write text messages.
This feature can suggest responses in different styles and tones, such as formal, casual, excited, or Shakespearean, based on the content of the conversation and the user’s cues. Users will see a chat bubble icon next to the app’s message editor, and tap it to select and edit suggested replies.
However, it is found that this function also has a point that needs attention: it will send as many as 20 previous messages of the user, as well as the emoticons and URLs contained in them, to Google’s server so that its artificial intelligence can generate suitable information. even for RCS messages with end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Google spells out the conditions on its Magic Compose support page and says it won’t send any messages with attachments, voice messages and pictures, though picture captions and voice transcriptions may be sent.
Google said that although Magic Compose using E2EE will send user information to Google’s servers, Google still cannot read the information. Google spokesman Justin Rende further clarified that “conversation data used by Magic Compose is not retained, nor is suggested response output once provided to the user.” If the user turns off the Magic Compose function, Google will no longer send the user’s information to its servers.
Magic Compose, one of many AI features Google showcased at its I/O event earlier this month, is currently rolling out to users of the Google Messages beta program. The feature currently seems to only work with RCS messages, and it’s unclear when SMS/MMS will be supported. Microsoft has also rolled out a similar feature in its keyboard app SwiftKey, which lets users compose text messages and emails through the Bing icon, and change the tone, format and length of the resulting messages.
