Gmail's new AI offers help for unread emails.

Google is rolling out AI features for Gmail, including Help Me Write and an AI Inbox that highlights prioritized messages and extracts to-dos; a reviewer tested them and found useful automation alongside occasional misclassifications.

Google has begun rolling out new AI features for Gmail, including a Help Me Write ghostwriter and an AI Inbox that surfaces prioritized messages. The tools are powered by Gemini and include suggested replies, proofreading suggestions for Pro subscribers, and a separate AI Inbox section that compiles to-dos and topics. A reviewer tested these features over a week and used them on personal and work messages. The rollout is currently limited to trusted testers while Google prepares a broader release. Key details: - Help Me Write is appearing as a pencil button in standard Gmail accounts in the U.S. and can draft replies using the original email as context. - Suggested Replies and ghostwriting can mimic a user's tone, while a Proofread tool for Google AI Pro subscribers offers inline suggestions to tighten phrasing. - AI Inbox creates a skimmable report of suggested to-dos and topics to follow by prioritizing messages based on signals like frequent contacts and inferred relationships. - The tool lives in a separate section above the regular inbox and is meant to complement, not replace, the inbox stream. - The reviewer found practical benefits, such as alerts about an ending free trial and important forms, but also noted misclassifications (for example, temporary codes labelled as to-dos). - Google Labs also offers related experiments, including a CC briefing agent and a Personal Intelligence feature in Gemini for paid subscribers that searches across Google apps. Summary: The features aim to reduce time spent sorting a crowded inbox by surfacing likely priorities and offering drafting and editing help. The tools show promise for automating routine tasks but are not perfect and can mislabel items. Google is limiting AI Inbox to trusted testers for now with plans for a wider rollout in coming months. Undetermined at this time