AI Revolutionizes Email Management: Gemini in Gmail Offers Smart Solutions

Drowning in Emails? Here's How AI Can Rescue Your Inbox

I've been writing about consumer technology and video games for more than a decade at a variety of publications, including Destructoid, GamesRadar+, Lifewire, PCGamesN, Trusted Reviews, and What Hi-Fi?, among others. At PCMag, I review AI and productivity software -- everything from chatbots to to-do list apps. In my free time, I'm likely cooking something, playing a game, or tinkering with my computer. You might already employ various strategies to organize your email using aliases and filters, but what if you want an easier method that doesn't require nearly any work on your part? AI prompting can be a surprisingly effective alternative. I used Gemini in Gmail in the examples below, but other AI chatbots have similar functionality. For instance, Claude has a Gmail integration, and Copilot works seamlessly in Outlook. Whatever AI service and email client combination you prefer, these prompts can seriously reduce your email frustrations and workloads. 1. Summarize Long Threads (or Conversations) Email threads can become overwhelmingly long, especially if you have been discussing the same topic for a while. Even worse is when you send a bunch of emails about the same topic across multiple threads or to multiple people. This makes it incredibly easy to fail to respond to something or forget about a part of the conversation that's actually important. Luckily, AI can summarize emails for you. Click the Gemini icon in the upper-right corner, and ask it to summarize individual emails or larger threads. This can be as direct as ''Summarize Ted's email," or you can prompt Gemini with more natural language. Furthermore, Gemini can include emails from (or to) specific people or that are from within a certain timeframe, among other things. For example, you can ask Gemini to summarize a conversation with your manager and pull out any important action items. Relying on AI can be easier than skimming over lengthy email chains yourself. 2. Ask AI for an Email Overview Have you ever opened an email and made a mental note to reply (or do something related) later, only to not remember anything about it when later rolls around? If so, a little trick I like to use with Gemini, especially near the end of a workday, is to click the Gemini icon and ask for an overview of the day's email. The prompt can be as direct as "Give me an overview of today's email." Or you can add specific instructions, such as "Give me an overview of today's email and break it down into separate sections, making sure to include a work category." Both prompts give me a bird's-eye view of the day's activity and help ensure I don't miss anything vital. Even if you don't get a lot of important emails every day, you can ask for an overview without any advertising or marketing emails in order to quickly see anything worth opening. You can also prompt Gemini to format its overview in any way you want, including with certain sections, such as personal or work, or to highlight emails from a particular person. 3. Find Emails Easily If you're anything like me, you occasionally need to find an email without having a good way to begin your search. Maybe you remember generally what it was about, or maybe it's just lost among the sea of other emails tied to what you're searching for. In these cases, just click on the Gemini icon, describe what you're looking for, and ask Gemini to find it for you. This can be a lifesaver if you're looking for a specific comment from somebody you get emails from all the time, or if you think you have a product key for an app you bought years ago in an email. If you tend to send yourself an email as a quick way to store information you don't want to forget but don't quite need regular access to, AI can locate whatever you're looking for nearly instantly. Just prompt Gemini to "Tell me what my manager asked me to do in his earlier email" or, more simply, to "Remind me what Ted says I'm supposed to do." Use AI However It Makes Sense to You Unlike traditional ways of organizing an email inbox, using AI doesn't mean changing a particular setting from one value to another: It's a much more organic process. So, don't be afraid to think outside the box. This also means you have a lot of flexibility in what prompts you send: Feel free to use natural language or ask for specifics. Maybe using AI to locate any advertisements in your email for easy deletion makes sense to you, or perhaps using AI to help figure out which emails you need to respond to first is more your speed. There aren't any wrong answers here.

Gemini in Gmail summarizes emails and threads

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to manage and streamline email inboxes, offering an alternative to traditional methods such as aliases and filters. AI chatbots like Gemini, Claude, and Copilot provide functionalities that can summarize emails, provide overviews, and locate specific information within a user's email. Lengthy email threads, especially those spanning multiple related conversations or involving numerous participants, can lead to oversight and missed information, potentially causing critical details to be overlooked. The volume of emails can make it difficult to keep track of all relevant points and ensure that all necessary actions are addressed. Gemini, when integrated with Gmail, allows users to summarize individual emails or entire threads. This can be initiated by clicking the Gemini icon and using prompts such as "Summarize Ted's email." Prompts can be customized to include emails from specific individuals or within a defined timeframe. For example, a user might request a summary of a conversation with their manager, specifically extracting any action items that require attention. This AI-driven approach aims to streamline the process of reviewing email content compared to manually skimming through lengthy email chains. Another application of AI in email management is generating overviews of daily email activity. Users can request an overview of the day's emails by prompting Gemini with commands like "Give me an overview of today's email." These overviews can be further refined by specifying categories, such as work-related emails, or excluding certain types of messages, such as advertising or marketing emails. The functionality allows users to quickly grasp the day's email activity and prioritize important messages, reducing the risk of overlooking vital communications. The ability to easily locate specific emails is another advantage of AI-powered email management. Users can describe the content they are looking for and ask the AI to find the relevant email. This is useful when the user has a vague recollection of the email's content or when the email is buried among a large volume of messages. For instance, if a user needs to find a specific comment from a frequent sender or locate a product key from an old email, AI can assist in identifying the message quickly. AI can assist in locating information stored in emails that were sent as quick notes. A user can prompt Gemini to "Tell me what my manager asked me to do in his earlier email" or "Remind me what Ted says I'm supposed to do" to retrieve specific instructions or reminders that were previously communicated via email. This capability is beneficial for those who use email as a personal information repository. Using AI for email management offers a flexible approach, allowing users to employ natural language and customize prompts to suit their specific needs. This contrasts with traditional methods that often require predefined settings and rigid rules. Users can adapt their prompts based on their individual requirements. Examples include using AI to identify advertisements for deletion or prioritizing emails that require a response. The adaptability of AI-driven email management means users can tailor the system to their specific workflows and preferences. This flexibility allows individuals to create a more efficient and personalized email management experience.