ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google released two new features this week for Gmail users with a work or school account.
- The “Help me write” tool uses Gemini to generate emails and responses based on a prompt.
- It saves brainpower, but not so much time, I found.
Google is expanding the ways Gmail users can use Gemini in their email. New features include AI Overview conversation summaries and a “Help me write” tool, which generates complete email drafts or refines your existing draft based on prompts, according to a Nov. 10 Google Blog update.
Also: You can force Gemini to forget about you now – how to edit its Memory
How to use Gemini’s ‘Help me write’ feature in Gmail
Google says the “Help me write” feature is gradually rolling out to Workspace users with a school or work account as of this week. If your workplace or school uses Gmail, here’s how to check if you have the feature.
- Click Compose at the top left of your main inbox.
- At the bottom of your compose window, there should be a light gray box that says “Describe your message.”
- Type your email prompt here (Google gives the example of “Draft a professional follow-up and thank-you for the interview”), and Gemini will generate your email within the compose window.
- Use the same light gray box to add changes or polish Gemini’s email.
“Help me write” was previously available only to consumer accounts, so you may have seen or used it on your personal Gmail, but this latest update allows business and school accounts to use the feature too, which, arguably, offers more use cases than a personal email.
Do Gemini’s email prompts really work?
Since its rollout earlier this week, I’ve been using Gemini to compose or answer all of my emails. As an AI skeptic and someone who typically avoids using AI tools unless absolutely necessary, I was hesitant to give up control to Gemini, but I actually found it relatively useful in my workflow.
Also: I used Gmail’s AI tool to do hours of work for me in 10 minutes – with 3 prompts
For example, prompting Gemini to “reach out to a brand for a request to comment” on a news event sounded more detailed than I would have written on my own. Not that I can’t write emails well, but the task can be daunting when there are tons of other things on your to-do list at work, and you write the email to get it over with. I was able to tell Gemini to polish it a little better and then sent it on its way.
“Help me write” wasn’t as useful for responding to emails for me, since in my line of work, responses are generally shorter than the initial email, so I don’t necessarily need help with that task. Except at the end of the workday, it can be a lifesaver when your brain is basically turned off for the day, but you need to respond to someone ASAP.
Less about saving time, more about saving brainpower
Does the feature save time? Yes and no — it depends on the email you are writing or responding to. I still double-checked Gemini’s wording and made some tweaks to every generated email. You definitely shouldn’t fully trust the very first email it spits out, since there are lots of blanks that need to be filled in, such as the recipient’s name, and it automatically fills in your name at the end of every generated email, even if you have a signature set up.
Also: I let Gemini Flows organize my Gmail, and it effectively filtered my inbox (with one sneaky catch)
However, the feature did help me use less brain power overall for simple email tasks, freeing me up to work on more important stories and projects.
I will continue using this feature for more simple emails to keep my inbox flow a little easier throughout the day, but as with all AI, be sure to double-check it yourself before sending.