Google I/O AI Gmail 2023

 Google I/O AI Gmail 2023

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai delivers the keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference at Shoreline Amphitheatre on May 10, 2023, in Mountain View, California.(Getty)

Generative AI is a technology that uses machine learning to create new data based on patterns it has learned from existing data. Google has been at the forefront of implementing this technology to improve its digital products, with Gmail being one of the prime examples. In 2017, Google introduced Smart Reply, which allowed users to select from a list of short responses to an email with just one click. Smart Reply was designed to save time and make communication more efficient.

Smart Compose, which followed soon after, was a more advanced feature that suggested writing as you typed. It was based on the same principle as Smart Reply but provided more personalized suggestions by taking into account the context of the email. Smart Compose has proved to be so useful that it has been used in Workspace over 180 billion times in the past year alone.

Google's latest addition to Gmail's generative AI features is "Help me write." This feature is powered by a more advanced generative model and allows users to generate a full draft email in response to a specific prompt. For instance, if you receive an email notifying you of a canceled flight and you want a refund, you can type in the prompt, and "Help me write" will create a draft email for you. The feature also pulls in relevant details from the previous email, such as flight details, to create a more personalized message.

The generated draft email may be close to what you want to say, but you can still refine it further to ensure it communicates your message clearly. By refining the email, you increase the chances of getting the refund you desire. The "Help me write" feature will start rolling out as part of Workspace updates, and like Smart Compose, it will continue to improve over time as it learns from user interactions.

In conclusion, Google's use of generative AI in Gmail demonstrates how this technology can be leveraged to enhance digital products and improve user experience. The addition of "Help me write" is another testament to the potential of generative AI and how it can make communication more efficient and personalized.