Swiss company Proton, known for its privacy-focused apps like Proton Mail and Proton VPN, has launched a new AI-powered tool that will help users compose emails, recycle them and check spelling before sending with simple hints.
Image source: Proton
Proton Scribe’s new product continues to replicate the functionality of Google’s solutions, responding to the launch of AI Gemini in Gmail.
Based on the open language model Mistral 7B from the French startup Mistral, Proton Scribe ensures maximum security for user data. As TechCrunch reports, the tool can be installed entirely locally, eliminating the transfer of information outside the device. The company also promises that the AI will not be trained on user data, which is especially important for enterprise use.
«We realized that whether Proton develops AI tools or not, users will still use artificial intelligence, often with significant privacy implications,” said founder and CEO Andy Yen. “Instead of copying your messages into third-party AI tools that often have terrible privacy practices, it would be better to build privacy-focused AI tools directly into Proton Mail.”
Image source: Proton
Interestingly, Proton Scribe can also run directly on Proton servers if less security-conscious users choose to interact with the app that way. This will allow requests to be processed faster, depending on the user’s hardware. At the same time, the company emphasizes that it does not keep any logs and does not transfer data to third parties. “Only the hint entered by the user is sent to the server, and no data is saved after the email is drafted,” a company spokesperson told TechCrunch.
While Proton Scribe is limited to email only, the company said it may expand the tool to its other products in the future “depending on demand.” Scribe may eventually include integration with its recently launched document collaboration app.
The new tool is available today for Proton Mail in web and desktop versions. The company has confirmed that it plans to add support for mobile devices in the future. In terms of cost, Proton Scribe is primarily aimed at business users and those already on Mail Essentials, Mail Professional or Proton Business Suite plans can access the tool for an additional $2.99 per month. Users of legacy and limited plans such as Visionary or Lifetime will have access to Proton Scribe for free.