Quick LinksHow Does Using AI to Write Your Emails Work? What I Liked About Using AI to Write My Emails What I Didn't Like About Using AI-Written Emails Will I Use AI to Write My Emails In the Future? Key Takeaways AI tools for email writing are extremely popular. These tools can help modify the tone of the email, elaborate on details, and brainstorm ideas. That said, AI-generated emails can be too generic and may take more time than expected.
Using AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini to draft emails is not new, especially given that Gmail even has a built-in "Help me write" feature within the Compose window. But while this feature is convenient and can even be a game-changer in some cases, is it worth using AI to write your emails for everyday communication?
How Does Using AI to Write Your Emails Work?
When you think of using AI to write an email, you're likely to imagine inputting a detailed prompt into a tool like ChatGPT and having it come up with a draft. However, you may have already used AI through Gmail's Smart Compose feature or even tools like Grammarly that edit and rephrase a sentence for you using AI.
Of course, if you want to generate a complete email using the details you provide, you'll need to use advanced platforms.
What I Liked About Using AI to Write My Emails
I'm not denying that AI tools for email writing can sometimes be useful, especially if you're drafting complicated emails or ones that need to follow a specific format. Some of the other things I enjoyed about AI email writing tools were:
1. It Was Able to Change the Tone of My Email
While you may be more than capable of communicating the essence of your message, you might have to adjust the tone based on the recipient and the context. For instance, if you're emailing a professional contact, you'll want to ensure your email maintains a formal tone. In this case, using an AI tool to tighten your email can help. Likewise, if you're networking or contacting a personal contact, you can use AI to add a few niceties to the email and make it sound less formal.
Of course, tweaking the tone of your emails, especially if they're long or include various details, can be time-consuming. However, using AI tools, I could draft a response that had the right tone and read as I wanted it to.
2. AI Can Be as Elaborate as You Want It to Be
Ever had to respond to an email where the most straightforward answer would have been a "yes" or a "no?" While that might be the case, I've found that not everyone appreciates receiving one or two-word responses. That said, I also don't want to spend too much time drafting responses with superfluous information. I'd rather have an AI tool do it for me.
In the example above, you'll see all I had to do was provide enough details for the tool to understand the context and the reason for my declining the invitation. The AI tool took care of the rest.
3. It Helps You Brainstorm
In an ideal world, I'd rather brainstorm with a friend or co-worker before writing an important email. But I can't always rely on someone being available to help me when I need it. In these situations, AI tools were incredibly helpful in helping me brainstorm ideas, find the right words or phrase my sentence appropriately, and even come up with an effective subject line.
What I Didn't Like About Using AI-Written Emails
While there's plenty I like about AI platforms, they are not without drawbacks. Here are a few that I encountered:
1. The Output Was Often Too Generic
Although the emails read well enough, I have a feeling anyone who has read AI-generated content can spot the difference. I often had to go back to the email and personalize it to ensure it wasn't emotionless.
2. It Takes Time to Get the Perfect Response
The whole idea behind using AI email writing tools was to cut down on the time it would take me to write a draft. However, I found that between putting all the details into my initial prompt, reviewing the AI version, adding more details or editing it myself, and rereading it, the process would sometimes take longer than if I had written it from scratch.
Will I Use AI to Write My Emails In the Future?
I don't see myself using AI on a daily basis to answer simple emails. However, I've used Gmail's Smart Compose feature plenty of times and found it quite helpful for completing my sentences. For complex emails, I might also use AI tools to tighten my drafts.
While there's no dearth of AI writing platforms at present, you're best off using one of our tried-and-tested AI writing tools for the best results. Many of these tools can generate detailed responses that are in line with your initial prompts, but be sure to use your discretion and review the content before you hit "Send."
