How to Use AI for Email Safely

The Real Risks of AI Email Tools

When you connect an AI tool to your email, you're potentially exposing:

Passwords and credentials — Reset links, 2FA codes, API keys sent via email
Financial data — Bank statements, invoices, payment confirmations
Client information — Contracts, proposals, confidential discussions
Personal communications — Years of private conversations
Business intelligence — Strategy discussions, competitive information

Most AI email tools require you to grant broad access — often to your entire inbox history. This data then flows through their servers, gets processed by their systems, and may be used to train models.

Recent Security Incidents

Security researchers found authentication bypasses in popular AI assistants exposing API keys
Google Cloud's VP of Security urged people not to install certain viral AI tools
Multiple AI email extensions have been found selling user data to third parties

The Security Checklist

Before using any AI tool with your email, ask these questions:

1. Where are credentials stored?

Your email password should be stored in your operating system's secure keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager) — not in the AI tool's configuration files or cloud servers.

Good: OS Keychain

Your OS encrypts credentials with hardware-backed security. The AI tool retrieves them when needed but never stores them itself.

Bad: Config files or cloud storage

Credentials stored in plain text, environment variables, or synced to cloud services are vulnerable to leaks.

2. Does the AI see your passwords?

The AI should only see email content and commands — never your actual credentials. A properly designed tool authenticates with your email provider directly, without passing credentials through the AI layer.

3. What's the attack surface?

General-purpose AI assistants that control your mouse, keyboard, and browser have a massive attack surface. A purpose-built email tool that only uses standard IMAP/SMTP protocols has minimal attack surface.

4. Where does data flow?

Does your email content pass through the AI company's servers? Or does it flow directly from your email provider to your local machine? Cloud processing means your sensitive data exists on someone else's infrastructure.

5. What permissions does it need?

An email tool should need email access — not full system access, not browser control, not the ability to execute arbitrary commands. Minimal permissions = minimal risk.

The Secure Architecture

A secure AI email setup looks like this:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  Your Machine                    │
│                                                  │
│  ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────────────┐   │
│  │   OS         │    │    Email Tool        │   │
│  │   Keychain   │───▶│   (Local)            │   │
│  │              │    │                      │   │
│  │  [encrypted] │    │  Retrieves creds     │   │
│  └──────────────┘    │  from keychain,      │   │
│                      │  connects to IMAP    │   │
│                      └──────────┬───────────┘   │
│                                 │               │
│  ┌──────────────┐               │               │
│  │    AI        │               │               │
│  │   (Claude,   │◀──────────────┘               │
│  │   Gemini)    │   Sees commands               │
│  │              │   and email content,          │
│  │              │   NEVER credentials           │
│  └──────────────┘                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                      │
                      │ Standard IMAP/SMTP
                      ▼
        ┌─────────────────────────┐
        │   Email Provider       │
        │   (Gmail, Outlook,     │
        │    Fastmail, etc.)     │
        └─────────────────────────┘

Key principles:

Credentials never leave your OS keychain
AI sees content, not passwords
Standard protocols only (IMAP/SMTP)
Everything runs locally on your machine

Red Flags to Watch For

Browser extensions — They can inject code and intercept data
"Full access" requirements — No email tool needs mouse/keyboard control
Cloud processing — Your emails shouldn't live on someone else's servers
Credential storage in config — Passwords should be in your OS keychain
Viral growth / crypto tokens — Security isn't a meme
Closed source without audits — You can't verify what you can't see

Practical Steps

Audit your current tools — What AI tools have email access? Where are credentials stored?
Revoke unnecessary access — Remove tools you're not actively using
Use app-specific passwords — Don't use your main password for email tools
Separate sensitive email — Consider a dedicated account for AI experimentation
Choose purpose-built tools — Email-specific tools have smaller attack surfaces