Gmail is rolling out "Help me write" AI tool

[Alfonso Maruccia]

AI Bloat: Google is making a strong push to integrate its Gemini AI across its vast network of internet services. The chatbot is gradually being introduced into various Google products, starting with Gmail, which serves over 1.8 billion users worldwide.

Google introduced the Gemini-based "Help me write" feature to mobile devices in 2023, giving users an easy way to compose or enhance emails. Leveraging Gemini capabilities, Help me write can quickly draft repetitive messages and replies to routine conversations, freeing up time for more complex tasks and detailed emails.

Google is now expanding this feature to the web version of Gmail. In the webmail interface, a new "Help me write" shortcut will appear in empty drafts, building on Gmail's original "smart reply" function to generate more comprehensive (and ideally, error-free) responses with a single click.

If a draft contains more than 12 words, a "Polish" shortcut will also appear, allowing users to refine their existing text. This new Polish option replaces the "Refine my draft" tool previously available on Gmail for mobile devices. Users can further edit the AI-enhanced draft before sending the message.

The new Help me write capabilities will be available for both Gemini for Google Workspace customers and individual users with Gemini AI access. The feature will be enabled by default, according to Google, without specific admin controls through the Workspace service or a simple way to disable it.

The gradual rollout of Help me write is under way and should be completed within a couple of weeks. Android and iOS Gmail apps already have access to the new AI capabilities. Google is also providing additional documentation for both Google Workspace customers and Gmail webmail users.

According to Google's official documentation, Help me write can generate a complete email draft based on a "free form" prompt or refine a previously drafted email. Google explains that Gemini AI can be used to create anything from a polished birthday invitation to a formal introduction for a business contact, ensuring the message is "fully formal" if the main points are already included.

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Gmail is rolling out "Help me write" AI tool

 

[mbk34]

It sounds a little sad people using AI to email each other.
Does it really count as communication?

 

[Underdog]

Very sad indeed. I'd kinda like everyone to just dump the internet and leave it for the AI and chat bots to play among themselves.
Personally I am getting sick of trying to reach a live human when I have a "customer service" issue. Wasting so much time listening to bots quoting text from FAQs that don't apply to my problem. Some never give the option to hand you over to a live human being for help, and more and more companys avoid giving you an email address for direct contact. Even if you strike lucky and find a phone number you have to negotiate various filters and menu systems to hit your target, usually someone who may or may not speak English clearly enough to actually help, but usually very good at the insincere "Have a nice day" Americanism at the end.

 

[toooooot]

I am starting to get a bit tired of AI text generating.
I went to check some reviews for a Disney's show on IMDB.
Well, entire page of 10 star reviews was written by
disgustingly perfect style the AI does.
I start to recognize the style, it does not feel
like normal people do, and I do not want to read
stuff that is not written by a human, be it reviews or eLetters.

 

[Axeia]

I've said it before but we're reaching new levels of silliness.
We'll have one side sending perfectly formatted AI written emails with all the "formal" fluff and filler, just to have the other side use AI to filter down to the actual content.

At some point we'll hopefully realise that it's a waste of power to generate fluff and filler and just have the sending side send the abbreviated version directly.
Less chance for errors to be introduced and nice power savings at the same time.
Or we can just pad the wallet of AI hardware manufacturers, energy companies and waste bandwidth at the same time.

 

[techstrike]

Better should say "help me type", because "writing" is only on a surface.