Writing emails and doing paper work are the most common tasks in any job. They are important because they facilitate communication and record keeping. This is essential for the running of any business and useful for many other formal and informal interactions. Writing tasks can however be monotonous and daunting. Staring at a blank sheet contemplating what to write is a challenge everyone has to grapple with at some point. In this article we are going to look at how the latest developments in AI can help you write better, faster and even improve your language skill.
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What is the gmail AI feature that helps in email writing?
On the 11th May 2023 Google I/O conference, they announced a new AI tool to help you write better and faster. They call it, the Duet AI. Duet AI would be integrated into Google Workspace to help you be more productive and collaborate with your people and teams to get work done better and quicker.
How can I access Duet AI?
The Duet AI is currently accessible by signing up to Google Workspace Labs. Its currently available to trusted users. You can express interest in signing up for Duet AI by going to this link here . If eligible, you will be granted access to Google Workspace Labs and will now have the power of AI in your hands to help you write and work faster.
Now that you’re integrated into Workspace Labs, you can now use Gmail’s “Help me Write” feature to draft emails by using simple prompts. You can use the Help me Write feature for composing and responding to emails.
Guide on how to Access ‘Help me write‘
Steps to compose an email using the Help me Write feature;
- Click on the compose button. For your PC, the ‘Compose’ button will be located at the top left of the window. On your Android or iPhone device the button will be located at the bottom right.
- After you click Compose, locate the ‘Help me Write’ icon. The icon looks sort of like a magic wand. It is located at the bottom left for your computer. While for your Android or iPhone, it will be located at the bottom right.
- Once you click the help me write button, you can now enter prompts to generate an email on any subject.
How to use Help Me Write to compose an email
For you to generate good email drafts using ‘Help me write’ you need write prompts that are precise and provide adequate information on what you want to relay. For example, say you want to compose an email draft to express interest in a job position. An example of a prompt you can use to write your first draft is:
“Write an email to express my interest in the role of [Insert text e.g. a sales strategists] at the [Insert text e.g. Nike Footwear] company.”
Once you type a prompt and press enter, the ‘Help me write’ will do the magic for you by generating your first draft in seconds. You can then start refining your draft by clicking on the ‘refine’ icon. Under the refine icon you will find four options. These are;
- Formalize: This will redraft your email to apply a formal tone and language.
- Elaborate: Choose this to create a draft that will delve into further details and information.
- Shorten: In the event that you think that your draft is too long and want to summarize it, you can do that by selecting this option.
- I’m Feeling Lucky: This essentially allows the ‘Help me write’ Duet AI to go wild and write a creative email draft. It could even write an email in the form of a poem.
You can toggle between these options to get a feel of the results offered by each. In case you are not satisfied with any of the variations, you can always press the ‘recreate’ icon to generate a different draft.
Additionally, you can update your prompt to include new instructions and information. For instance, say you want to talk about previous experience. We can modify our previous prompt and add new instructions and information.
For example:
“Write an email to express my interest in the role of [Insert text e.g. a sales strategists] at the [Insert text e.g. Nike Footwear] company. Talk about my experience working with teams to deliver record sales”
How to modify your prompts
By supplementing your prompts with new information, you can generate a better response that is suited to your specific needs. To modify your prompt simply click on the prompt field at the top of the ‘compose’ window and make necessary changes to suit your preference.
How to use Help Me Write to reply to an email
To reply to an email using ‘Help me Write’, simply tap the reply icon and select ‘Help me write’ to use the Duet AI to draft a response.
Say for example you have been asked to rate your experience when purchasing a product from an online store.
Here is a prompt you can use to generate a response.
“Tell them that the product is [Insert text e.g. exactly as expected] and that other than [Insert text e.g. poor packaging], my experience has been [Insert text e.g. great].”
Another instance of where you can reply to an email using ‘Help me write’ AI is to RSVP for a meeting or event. Say you have been invited to a meeting and want to acknowledge you will attend. You can use the prompt:
“Write an RSVP to [Insert text e.g. confirm attendance] and ask for [Insert text e.g. directions to the venue and schedule for the event].”
When replying, you will also have the same options to refine your draft. These refinement options are formalize, elaborate, shorten and I’m feeling lucky. Just like when composing, these will help you adjust the tone and language for your reply.
The option for ‘recreate’ to generate a fresh draft is also available. You can also update your prompts accordingly for more precise results.
The Types of emails Help Me Write can generate
These are just a few examples of the many ways that you can leverage ‘Help me write’ Duet AI to quickly write emails. Other tasks you can use it for are:
- Generate an email to say Thank you of offer gratitude
- Generate a reply to add you perspective on a given topic or agenda
- Write an email to request for more information or details
- Write an invitation
- Generate a recommendation
- Draft an apology
- Write a wish or share a thought
The list is endless. Using this AI tool, responding to emails will no longer be a dreadful task. Duet AI will help improve your communication language and relay information and feedback with clarity and on time. Work and life gets a little easier with this new AI assistant.
