Gmail's suggested responses are worse than useless to me
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
As much as I love complaining about how AI sticks its tentacles into every aspect of life, I'm still a big fan. It's like me hating the app formerly known as Twitter while still being happy to doomscroll on it for long periods. However, one aspect of AI that has only irked me from day one is the Gmail suggested responses, which have somehow managed to be worse than useless.
You know the ones I mean, because Gmail is far from the only purveyor of these chirpy canned pleasantries. In Gmail's case, they sit just below the message, like Clippy reincarnated and saying, 'It looks like you're writing a reply!'
Just like the Microsoft anthropomorphized paperclip we all loved to hate, I've never once used the Gmail suggested responses. They're usually just a few words long, so they're not saving anyone much time. To my knowledge, I've never received one either, which is extremely telling. I strongly suspect that the reason why is what downgrades them from 'unnecessary' to 'making things worse'.
Gmail
The problem is that a short and polite response previously showed a level of sincerity, however small. In the pre-AI days, if someone emailed me explaining how they completed a work task, I might respond, 'That's great, thank you!' The email might not demand a response at all, but in 15 seconds, I can show that person's efforts were appreciated enough for me to interrupt my day and type a few words of acknowledgement. In 2025, that response, and every one similar, has been commandeered by AI.
That's a dilemma, because someone not expecting a response might take my appreciation as implied if I don't respond. A 'That's great, thank you!' now looks like I considered responding but couldn't be bothered to tap a few keys, so I just picked an à-la-carte option. To now sound sincere in a response, I either need to write a longer message or deliberately hijack my spelling to prove I'm not the LLM. 'That's grapes, thank you!' sounds written by a human, but one who might need medical assistance.
It's the same weird vibe shift that happened with the thumbs-up emoji. It initially meant an acknowledgement, like 'OK' or 'Sounds good.' However, it soon started reading as dismissive or even passive-aggressive, especially if the sender was your boss or your crush. It certainly gave the impression that the chat was over.
Short, neutral replies have become socially radioactive.
Short, neutral replies have become socially radioactive because we can't tell if there was any thought beyond a single click behind them, and AI has expanded that reach tenfold.
It's a little unfair of me to single out Gmail. Other message apps like Google Chat, LinkedIn, and Instagram all offer prefab replies now. 'Haha, that's funny.' 'Thanks for sharing.' 'Love this!' and so on. The language is consistent and polished, but completely soulless. They're SFW phrases that work just well enough to be inoffensive, and just badly enough to feel inhuman.
You can turn the Gmail suggested responses off, and I have, but that doesn't undo the damage. The replies still exist in the ecosystem, reshaping what sincerity looks like. At least Clippy had the decency to announce his presence with googly eyes and a wave. Today's AI just irreparably hijacked the tone and called it a productivity boost.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Intel to outsource marketing to Accenture and AI, resulting in more layoffs
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Employees at Intel's marketing division were informed that many of their roles will be handed over to Accenture, which will use AI to handle tasks traditionally done by Intel staff, reports OregonLive. The decision is part of a company-wide restructuring plan that includes job cuts, automation, and streamlining of execution. The marketing division has been one of Intel's key strengths since the company began communicating directly with end users with the launch of its "Intel Inside" campaign in 1991. However, it looks like the company will drastically cut its human-driven marketing efforts going forward, as it plans to lay off many of its marketing employees, believing that Accenture's AI will do a better job connecting Intel with customers. The number of positions affected was not disclosed, but Intel confirmed changes will significantly alter team structures, with only 'lean' teams remaining. Workers will be told by July 11 whether they will remain with the company. Among other things, the aim of the restructuring is to free up internal teams to focus on strategic, creative, and high-value projects, rather than routine functions. Therefore, Intel intends to use Accenture's AI in various aspects of marketing, including information processing, task automation, and personalized communications. Intel has acknowledged the shift to Accenture and explained that this will not only cut costs but will modernize its capabilities and strengthen its brand. How exactly the usage of AI instead of real people can reinforce the brand hasn't been explained yet. "As we announced earlier this year, we are taking steps to become a leaner, faster and more efficient company," a statement by Intel published by OregonLive reads. "As part of this, we are focused on modernizing our digital capabilities to serve our customers better and strengthen our brand. Accenture is a longtime partner and trusted leader in these areas and we look forward to expanding our work together." In messages to staff published by OregonLive, Intel indicated that part of the restructuring may involve existing employees training Accenture contractors by explaining how Intel's operations work. This knowledge transfer would occur during the transitional phase of the outsourcing plan, although it is unclear how long this phase will take. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
2 world-class growth shares to consider buying during a stock market crash
It's always a smart idea to have a shopping list of shares at hand. This is what I had in April when the proverbial hit the fan, saving me valuable time deciding which stocks to buy when many suddenly went on sale. Two on my list were Shopify and Nvidia, and I took my chance when things quickly went south. Those positions are currently up 40% and 51% respectively since early April. Here are two shares that look overvalued, but which I think investors should consider putting on a shopping list for the next bear market or crash. The first is Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON). As well as owning the Taser brand, the company sells body-cams, dash-cams, and various software products to law enforcement customers. It's also innovating in drones, VR training, and powerful artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools. Last year, revenue jumped 33% to $2.1bn, up from $681m in 2020. Over $1bn of that is now annual recurring revenue, while total future contracted bookings rose to $10.1bn. The company continues to scale up very impressively. This rapid progress is reflected in the share price, which has vaulted 700% in three years. The key risk now then is valuation, with the shares trading at 27 times sales. If Axon's growth underwhelms, the stock could sell off heavily. But I think this is definitely one to consider picking up during any such sell-off. The enterprise growth opportunity's very large. Take body-cams, for example. In an attempt to reduce attacks on staff, Walmart's piloting black-and-yellow body-cams in some stores (Axon's signature colours). Management points out that Walmart has 2.1m retail workers, far in excess of the 900,000 cops in the US. What about airlines? Cabin crew are no strangers to abusive behaviour. Cameras can provide evidence, reduce false claims, and deter aggression. They would integrate with Axon's cloud-based evidence system, adding to the recurring revenue. Meanwhile, the company's sitting on a library of video data that's roughly 40 times larger than that belonging to Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX). Axon's using this vast data trove to train AI models and power a growing suite of tools, embedding it ever deeper into customers' daily workflows. Looking ahead, the international opportunity in Europe, Latin America and Asia remains largely untapped. Returning to Netflix, I think the global streaming leader is worthy of consideration. But perhaps not right now around $1,220. This price puts the stock at 13 times sales and 49 times forward earnings. Again, this stretched valuation leaves very little margin for error, particularly if subscriber growth unexpectantly slows. Long term though, I'm bullish on Netflix. The firm possesses an incredible brand and streaming still has plenty of room to grow globally. It also offers fantastic value for money. At £12.99, my Netflix subscription's probably one of the last discretionary things I would cut. The new ad-supported tier is just £5.99 a month — less than the price of a pint in London nowadays! I think Netflix can keep increasing prices for years without losing too many subscribers. The firm has set a goal of reaching a $1trn market-cap by 2030, up from $520bn today. I think that's achievable, especially if cutting-edge generative AI helps it make content for less money. The post 2 world-class growth shares to consider buying during a stock market crash appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Ben McPoland has positions in Axon Enterprise, Nvidia, and Shopify. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Axon Enterprise, Nvidia, Shopify, and Walmart. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Entrepreneur
an hour ago
- Entrepreneur
Engineering the Future with AI
"The biggest challenge isn't just deploying AI, it's embedding it into complex workflows while ensuring compliance, traceability, and IP protection," says K. A. Prabhakaran, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Cyient Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In a rapidly evolving industrial landscape, where the boundaries of design, manufacturing, and aftersales are increasingly blurred by digitalisation, Indian multinational Cyient is placing intelligent engineering at the heart of transformation. Established in 1991 and now employing over 17,000 people globally, Cyient has evolved into a leader in blending deep domain expertise with next-generation technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI (GenAI), and simulation tools to drive industry-wide innovation. "Our technology portfolio is designed to embed intelligence across the product, plant, and asset lifecycle," shares K. A. Prabhakaran, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Cyient. "We are using AI to accelerate design cycles, optimise manufacturing, increase supply chain visibility, and drive predictive maintenance and aftermarket intelligence." From aerospace and railways to energy, healthcare, and telecom, Cyient's technology is delivering measurable outcomes. Their AI- powered tools have shortened product development timelines, improved asset uptime, and enhanced customer service through GenAI- driven diagnostics and contextual assistants. In telecommunications, Cyient automates network planning and fibre deployments, while in healthcare, their CyNet platform aids in precise fetal diagnostics. One notable case is the company's Plant Advisor solution, which has demonstrated a 67 per cent accuracy in recommending efficiency improvements, underscoring the real-world value of AI in operational environments. What keeps Cyient ahead in the game is its strong culture of learning, strategic partnerships, and co-innovation with customers. "We've trained over 5,000 associates in AI, cloud, and platform technologies," says Prabhakaran. "Our Centres of Excellence, especially the GenAI CoE, serve as catalysts for continuous innovation." Cyient's collabration with Microsoft under the 'EnGeneer' initiative is another step forward in transforming engineering lifecycles through AI-led automation. The company also actively engages with analyst communities and customers to align its offerings with evolving market needs. Yet, integrating AI into traditional engineering ecosystems isn't without its hurdles especially in highly regulated sectors like aerospace and healthcare. "The biggest challenge isn't just deploying AI, it's embedding it into complex workflows while ensuring compliance, traceability, and IP protection," explains Prabhakaran. To tackle this, Cyient has established a robust governance framework that includes human- in-the-loop systems, modular deployments for secure data handling, and domain-specific validation gates. "It's this precision and rigour that makes our AI trustworthy and acts as a natural barrier to entry for others," he concludes.
