Superhuman’s new auto-draft feature almost makes me like AI replies

In a bid to alleviate the burden of overflowing inboxes, Superhuman has rolled out an upgraded version of its auto-draft feature, leveraging advanced AI capabilities to categorize emails and draft responses that resonate more authentically with users. The latest iteration aims to address previous shortcomings, where earlier attempts often resulted in overly enthusiastic and robotic replies. Having recently tested the beta version, I found this new auto-draft feature to be a game-changer. The tool intelligently identifies crucial emails requiring replies, crafting responses that reflect the user's tone based on past interactions. Additionally, it provides two alternative drafts, enhancing flexibility in communication. During my trial, I encountered drafts that effectively agreed to embargoes on pitches or confirmed meeting times with minimal adjustments needed. Despite its advancements, the feature is not without flaws. It occasionally defaults to overly positive responses or suggests impractical meeting times, such as post-midnight slots. Fortunately, users can easily select from alternative drafts for a more suitable response. What’s promising is the feature’s ability to learn and adapt; for example, after a less-than-ideal suggestion for a meeting time, it subsequently generated a more appropriate draft when similar situations arose. As someone who navigates thousands of emails each month—partly due to AI making initial drafts easier for communication professionals—I'm not yet comfortable fully entrusting AI with my inbox. However, this feature shows potential for streamlining responses for less complex communications. Users can tailor the tool to their needs by accessing the personalization settings, adding personal details and relevant links for context. According to Superhuman co-founder Rahul Vohra, during the beta testing phase, 40% of auto-generated drafts were sent within a day, with 60% of those sent without any modifications. Vohra explained that while previous features relied on older AI models like GPT-3.5, this new implementation utilizes a blend of cutting-edge models from both Anthropic and OpenAI, enhancing the intelligence and context of the drafts. Following its acquisition by Grammarly last year, Superhuman is also working on a new assistant called Superhuman Go, designed to seamlessly integrate across platforms while maintaining contextual continuity.