Google AI CEO Demis Hassabis: 'I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of…'

Google DeepMind

CEO

Demis Hassabis

and Nobel laureate recently said that he is so overwhelmed by daily emails that he’d gladly “pay thousands of dollars per month” just to be free of them. Speaking at the SXSW London festival, Hassabis revealed that his team is working on an

AI-powered email system

designed to do exactly that—take over the exhausting task of managing inboxes. The tool, he said, will be aimed to help users manage their inboxes by automatically sorting through emails, replying to routine messages, and making sure important ones don’t go unnoticed.Hassabis said, “I would love to get rid of my email. I would pay thousands of dollars per month to get rid of that”. Stating “The thing I really want – and we’re working on – is can we have a next-generation email?,” he revealed that the AI tool, currently under development, will not only filter and manage emails but also generate responses that match the user’s writing style. This could help reduce missed replies and save users from the common apology: “Sorry for the late response.”This new email system comes shortly after Google introduced an “AI mode” in its search engine and Chrome browser—features that let users interact with search using a chat-like interface, similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

While the email project is a key focus, Hassabis emphasised that DeepMind’s broader mission remains ambitious. He said that although AI’s short-term impact might be overstated, he believes it will bring major long-term changes. Before using AI to cure diseases or tackle climate change, he’s starting with solving the email problem first.The DeepMind CEO recently said he would still prioritize STEM subjects if he were a student today, despite artificial intelligence's rapid transformation of the job market. Speaking at SXSW London on Monday, Hassabis emphasized that understanding mathematical and scientific fundamentals remains crucial even as AI reshapes entire industries."It's still important to understand fundamentals" in mathematics, physics, and computer science to comprehend "how these systems are put together," Hassabis said. However, he stressed that modern students must also embrace AI tools to remain competitive in tomorrow's workforce.Demis Hassabis predicts AI will create "new very valuable jobs" over the next five to 10 years, particularly benefiting "technically savvy people who are at the forefront of using these technologies." He compared AI's impact to the Industrial Revolution, expressing optimism about human adaptability despite widespread job displacement concerns.