A Week with Google Gemini: Crafting Emails & Texts Efficiently – My Review

Key Takeaways

• Gemini is a new AI model integrated into Google Messages, offering free and premium versions.
• The free version is accessible on some Samsung and Google Pixel phones, providing chatbot-like assistance.
• Gemini’s effectiveness varies. It excels in short-form communication like drafting texts.

I did not expect Gemini to text me out of the blue on Google Messages! I was eager to test it out, but do we really need another AI chatbot in our lives? I decided to find out!

Gemini Chimed In

As a generative AI specialist, I’m often on my phone seeking out updates on the latest generative AI models and features. It’s rare for an AI model to contact me, but Google Gemini texted me out of the blue. I learned it was rolled out this way on a few models of Samsung and Google Pixel phones. I’ve been underwhelmed with Google’s recent “AI Overview “ addition to their search results. However, I’ve experienced that each AI model has its own specialties and idiosyncrasies (and maybe personalities?). Gemini’s search results and AI overview capabilities do not have any bearing on other AI-powered tasks. So I was willing to take it up on its offer.

Gemini Introduces Itself

Gemini sent me an RCS text over the Google Messages app I use for texting with the following message, “Hi, I’m Gemini in Google Messages. Chat with me to draft messages, brainstorm ideas, plan events or simply have a fun conversation.” My response was to first verify it wasn’t a scam text. Then, I responded, “Are you free?” Because even if the text wasn’t from scammers, I worried that Google was just as capable!

Yes! It’s Free! If You Have the Free Version

I have the minimum Google One subscription that gives extra storage. I do not have the “AI Premium” subscription for $20/month or $99/year. AI Premium puts Gemini AI onto Google’s productivity apps, including Gmail, Slides, Sheets, and Meet. With it, you can ask Gemini to do things like create a Slides presentation. The more specific the prompt, the better the presentation. Then, like with any AI-generated material, you check for accuracy and edit however you like. Effectively, Gemini AI has replaced Google Assistant.

The Free Version

On most devices, the free version of Gemini can be accessed by going to Gemini’s homepage or downloading the Gemini app on Android or iPhone . Texting Gemini through Google Messages is possible on most Google Pixel series phones and some of the newest Samsung devices. The free version is a Chatbot that works like ChatGPT or Perplexity AI. You ask it questions, and it draws from data sets of knowledge updated by Google. Since Gemini can’t search the internet for up-to-date information, I asked it a few questions about recent news events. It knew about sports news and scores that occurred only a few days ago. Its database appears to be kept reasonably current.

What Can You Use the Free Version For?

I’m not sure if Google intends for the free version of Gemini to eventually compete with ChatGPT or Perplexity AI as a question and answer Chatbot. It doesn’t seem to compete with them at the moment. Its responses seem incomplete compared to ChatGPT, and it can’t search the internet and cite its sources like Perplexity . However, there are other tasks out there that those chatbots don’t do well.

When Gemini sent me that first text, it suggested I use it to “brainstorm ideas, draft messages, plan events, or simply have a fun conversation.” I have not found Perplexity or ChatGPT to be useful for short-form communication like texts or emails. If Gemini can do it, I think that would be a unique use. I decided to go over all the communications I’d written the previous week and see if Gemini would have made a difference.

The World’s Most Difficult Text

Why not start with the hardest possible text to write? A tricky text to a boomer mom or mother-in-law. Last week I had to tell my mom that her offer to take us to Disney was an unmanageable trip for us. As Gemini had not yet texted, my sister swooped in, saved the day, and it all worked out. However, as boomers go, my mother is quite reasonable. I think a carefully worded text would probably have been fine. Could Gemini have saved the day? My prompt was, “Write a text thanking my mom for inviting us to Disney, but politely let her know it’s too big of a trip for a single mom with little kids. Maybe suggest an alternative.”

World’s Greatest Response?

Gemini responded, “Mom, thanks so much for the amazing invitation to Disney! While it sounds incredible, a Disney trip feels a bit overwhelming for the little ones and me right now. Maybe a closer [local zoo/children’s museum/park] visit in the near future? We’d love to spend some quality time with you! Love you!”

What a great response! I probably would have changed the last sentence to suggest an alternate vacation. My mom did, and I used AI to help with that as well. However, I think this would have been a useful solution. In fact, I can see Gemini being just as useful in the workplace. It could help you handle toxic co-workers, difficult supervisors, or that one person who needs to think everything is their idea.

Everyday Texts Didn’t Go as Well.

I tried to use Gemini to duplicate another text conversation I had last week, but this one didn’t go as well. I was delayed an hour away from home and needed someone to pick up my youngest son from camp. What followed was a series of short logistical texts between me and a babysitter. Not only is it not worth the effort to prompt, “write a text to [sitter] asking them if they can pick up [son] from camp at 4 pm,” but this is already a good job for a voice assistant like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. Those apps will put your voice to text and send it to any of your contacts.

Other Tasks

Other tasks I completed last week included a letter of recommendation for a teacher’s aide and a short positive review for a hairstylist. It’s not unusual to get a different response from AI when you ask the same question twice because it writes an original response for each prompt.

However, I found it notable that the letter of recommendation written by Gemini accessed through Google Messages was 100 words shorter than the one written by the Gemini homepage. The letters were acceptable but not as good as the one ChatGPT wrote for me. This anecdotally supports my opinion that Gemini is best used for short-form writing like texts or emails. The hairstylist review was excellent.

Using Gemini Through Google Messages

When I asked Gemini to write the series of texts to my new sitter, it became apparent that Gemini did not remember previous texts or prompts. Each text to Gemini resulted in an entirely new conversation. For me, this is a big deal. If you prompt Gemini to write a text, and it doesn’t turn out well, you can’t prompt it to adjust the response.

You’d have to write the entire prompt over with the additional instructions. You also can’t ask any follow-up questions. If you can’t have a conversation with it, is it even a chatbot? Thankfully, this is only an issue when using Google Messages to access Gemini. When accessing Gemini through their homepage, you can ask follow-up questions or adjust instructions through conversation like a normal chatbot.

Gemini’s Data Security

When I asked Gemini “Do you remember previous conversations?” in Messages, it said “I can’t access or remember previous conversations to maintain user privacy. Each interaction is independent, but I can use the context of your current query to provide the most relevant response.”

This response motivated me to do more research into Gemini’s data security. While Gemini’s stated safety measures seem standard for AI security, you can change your privacy settings to prevent your Gemini data from being shared with Google. Like most LLMs (Large Language Models ) Gemini is a young software and a new technology. Prompts and responses are saved and reviewed by human workers to evaluate Gemini’s responses.

This kind of data is crucial to improving the technology, but you can easily opt-out. To do this, turn off “Gemini Apps Activity” in your Google Account settings. If you’ve already interacted with Gemini you can visit myactivity.google.com/product/gemini to delete all your Gemini data or specific conversations.

Will Gemini Continue on My Phone?

I will not be keeping the Gemini app, but I will continue to text it through Google Messages. It’s so convenient to copy and paste its short responses right into another conversation or app. I don’t want to lose that option, and foresee myself using it a few times a week. As for Gemini’s future, I think Google is on the right track with this, and I expect more to come. For now, Gemini feels unfinished compared to other AI models, but I’m glad it texted me.