Writing your own emails? That’s so 2022. Google's new Help Me Write tool will write emails for you, from a simple prompt.
At the last Google I/O event in May, the tech giant’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced the new feature among other Artificial Intelligence-based features, including the latest Bard tools.
The feature is now available for Gmail on iPhones, iPads and Android devices. We explain what it does and how to get it.
How does Help Me Write Work?
On it's blog, Google explained how Help Me Write works:
“‘Help me write' uses generative AI large language models to interpret your prompt and decide what combination of words best represents your request. And this new technology builds on past generative models we've used for Gmail's Smart Compose and Smart Reply features”. – Google blog
The Smart Compose and Smart Reply tools have been around for several years, and many users have been using them intuitively without necessarily knowing.
The AI used in Help Me Write is the same as Bard AI, Google’s answer to OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT. Unlike its rival chatbot, Bard AI is trained on real-time data across the web, one of the core differences between the two.
However, the AI is still under development and won’t always draft the perfect response. The key to success is to always read and edit the draft before hitting send.
The main benefits of Google's Help Me Write tool are:
- It can save time by generating email drafts for you
- It can improve your writing skills by providing suggestions and feedback
- It can help you create more professional-looking emails
- It can help you stay organized by keeping track of your email templates
- It’s a free feature that is available to all Gmail users
Where to Find the Help Me Write Tool
You won’t have instant access to this feature. Help Me Write is part of Google's Workspace Labs, and you'll need to join the waitlist in order to benefit from this timesaving tool.
Visit labs.withgoogle.com, scroll down to the section marked “Unlock new ways of working with AI” and click the blue “Join waitlist” button to sign up.
To check if you have access to Workspace Labs features, go into your Gmail account and start writing a new message, look for the Help me write button – a pen with a star above it – on the formatting bar at the bottom of the compose window.
At Google’s I/O Event last month, CEO, Sundar Pichai gave this demonstration of the tool writing a letter of complaint to an airline:
From Smart Reply ➡️ “Help me write” in Gmail 🧵↓#GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/u0ILECSMN4
— Google (@Google) May 10, 2023
