Proton launches 'privacy-first' AI writing assistant for email that runs on-device
Privacy app maker Proton has launched a new AI-enabled writing assistant that can help users compose emails with simple prompts, redraft them and even proofread them before they're sent.
The launch sees Proton continue on a trajectory that has seen it replicate many of Google's products and features in the productivity tools space. Just last month, Google brought its own Gemini AI to Gmail to help users write and summarize emails, and now Proton is following suit with its own flavor.
As one might expect with Proton, a Swiss company known for its suite of privacy-centric apps, including email, VPN, password manager, calendar, cloud storage and documents, its new assistant is targeted at those concerned about leaking sensitive data to third-party AI providers.
Proton Scribe, as the new tool is called, is built on Mistral 7B, an open source language model from French AI startup Mistral. However, Proton says it will likely tinker with this in pursuit of the most optimum model for this use case. Additionally, the company says it is making the tool available under the open source GPL-3.0 license, which will make it easier to perform third-party security and privacy audits.
Going local
Proton Scribe can be deployed entirely at the local device level, meaning user data doesn't leave the device. Moreover, Proton promises that its AI assistant won't learn from user data — a particularly important feature for enterprise use cases, where privacy is paramount.
The problem that Proton is striving to address here is real: Businesses have been slower to embrace the generative AI revolution due to data privacy concerns. This early iteration of the writing assistant could go some way toward appeasing such concerns.
"We realized that irrespective of whether or not Proton builds AI tools, users are going to use AI, often with significant privacy consequences," founder and CEO Andy Yen said. "Rather than have users copying their sensitive communications into third-party AI tools that often have appalling privacy practices, it would be better to instead build privacy-first AI tools directly into Proton Mail."
For the less security-conscious, Proton Scribe can also be configured to run on Proton's servers, which should mean it will run faster, depending on users' own hardware.
Those who'd prefer to run the tool locally are prompted to download the model once to their machine, and then it will run on that device without interacting with external servers.
The company is quick to stress that it doesn't keep any logs or share data with third-parties for people who choose to run Proton Scribe from its servers.
"Only the prompt entered by the user is transmitted to the server, and no data is ever retained after the email draft is created," a company spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Once the tool has been installed, users can type in a prompt, such as "request samples from a supplier," and then hit the generate button.
The assistant then spits out a template email based on the theme provided, and you can then edit and fine-tune what comes out.
With these privacy-centric provisions, there is at least one notable trade-off: Given that the tool doesn't use any local data, its responses won't be particularly personalized or contextual. They will likely be generic, a point that Proton conceded to TechCrunch.
However, the company said this is why it has added additional features, which it calls "quick actions," designed to make it easy for users to edit the drafts, such as changing the tone, proofreading and making it more concise.
"Over time, we will look to improve Proton Scribe, adding context, etc., but all in a privacy-preserving way," Proton said in a statement.
Proton Scribe is limited to email for now, but the company said it may expand the tool to its other products in the future "depending on demand." One obvious integration will be its recently launched collaborative document editing app.
Starting today, Proton's writing assistant will be available for Proton Mail on the web and desktop, though the company confirmed that it will look to expand the tool to mobile devices in the future. In terms of costs, Proton Scribe is mostly targeted at business users, with those on either the Mail Essentials, Mail Professional or Proton Business Suite plans able to pay an extra $2.99 per month to access the writing assistant.
Additionally, those on one of Proton's legacy and limited-availability plans, such as Visionary or Lifetime, will be given access to Proton Scribe for free. The company said that it may expand the feature to other consumer plans in the future.
