Google adds 'Smart Replies' to Gmail for iOS, based on machine learning

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPhone
Coming alongside the start of its annual I/O conference, Google is on Wednesday launching an updated Gmail app for iOS and Android, introducing a "Smart Reply" feature based on the company's machine learning technology.




In some email replies, the app will now display three canned responses based on what it thinks the original message is asking. If a person is asking whether to meet on Monday or Tuesday, for instance, options might include "Let's do Monday," "Monday works for me," or "Either day works for me."

Generated responses should evolve over time based on how they're used. Regardless, people will be able to edit Smart Replies before sending for the sake of accuracy.

The feature will initially work only in English, but Google is promising Spanish support in the next few weeks. More languages will come later on.

The technology was already in Google's Inbox email client and Allo messaging app, but Gmail is much more widely used and one of Google's signature services.

Other I/O announcements include the launch of Google Assistant for the iPhone, and greater iOS integration with the Home smartspeaker.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,282member
    Seems like a risky feature for Google... as these smart replies evolve, it might end up reminding people about how much of their private, personal information Google is routinely harvesting, analyzing, and selling to the highest bidder. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 10
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    blastdoor said:
    Seems like a risky feature for Google... as these smart replies evolve, it might end up reminding people about how much of their private, personal information Google is routinely harvesting, analyzing, and selling to the highest bidder. 
    Like... Ummmm... None of it? If only you wanted to understand what Google actually does. Then again perhaps you do but FUD is fun. :)
  • Reply 3 of 10
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    (from the sample image provided) Apparently Smart Reply isn't smart enough to offer Tuesday as an option to meet. Or maybe it's so smart it knows no one would be foolish enough to meet Anissa Lee on a Tuesday...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    More impressive is the machine learning example Google showed today where they automatically completely erased an obscuring chain-link fence from a photo of a kid playing baseball. Very impressive and will put people toiling over Photoshop work out of business in short order.
    edited May 2017
  • Reply 5 of 10
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,282member
    gatorguy said:
    blastdoor said:
    Seems like a risky feature for Google... as these smart replies evolve, it might end up reminding people about how much of their private, personal information Google is routinely harvesting, analyzing, and selling to the highest bidder. 
    Like... Ummmm... None of it? If only you wanted to understand what Google actually does. Then again perhaps you do but FUD is fun. :)
    Sucker 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 10
    iSalmanPakiSalmanPak Posts: 58member
    blastdoor said:
    Seems like a risky feature for Google... as these smart replies evolve, it might end up reminding people about how much of their private, personal information Google is routinely harvesting, analyzing, and selling to the highest bidder. 
    Yes. I'm sure that will happen.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,384member
    This is such a flashy, but utterly useless feature. I use inbox on mobile so I've been getting these for a year or more. I'm a heavy email user, and I've maybe tapped on a smart reply 1 out of every 100 replies, and even then I would modify it. This just promotes extreme laziness and fakeness. Oh, and I love how that email was the most IDEAL case for the smart reply (2 options) and yet, it gives TWO buttons covering the same option, and nothing for the second. Nice. 
    edited May 2017 watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 10
    franklinjackconfranklinjackcon Posts: 612member
    slurpy said:
    This is such a flashy, but utterly useless feature. I use inbox on mobile so I've been getting these for a year or more. I'm a heavy email user, and I've maybe tapped on a smart reply 1 out of every 100 replies, and even then I would modify it. This just promotes extreme laziness and fakeness. Oh, and I love how that email was the most IDEAL case for the smart reply (2 options) and yet, it gives TWO buttons covering the same option, and nothing for the second. Nice. 
    From what I understand, this is meant to be an improvement over what is currently in Inbox. But I agree, it's not that usable up to this point. If I'm replying to an email like the example shown, at the very least I want to start with Hi XYZ. Short replies are more useful in short messaging apps but who knows what Google is trying to do in that space. The best I have is predictive text in my keyboard, when I write "Are" it then suggests one word at a time - "you" "free" "for" "a" "beer" so a full sentence would be easier.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    igorskyigorsky Posts: 755member
    SpamSandwich said:
    More impressive is the machine learning example Google showed today where they automatically completely erased an obscuring chain-link fence from a photo of a kid playing baseball. Very impressive and will put people toiling over Photoshop work out of business in short order.
    I didn't see this demonstration, but these types of object-removing apps have been around for a while. And they work well under very specific condition. Photoshop isn't going anywhere.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    igorsky said:
    SpamSandwich said:
    More impressive is the machine learning example Google showed today where they automatically completely erased an obscuring chain-link fence from a photo of a kid playing baseball. Very impressive and will put people toiling over Photoshop work out of business in short order.
    I didn't see this demonstration, but these types of object-removing apps have been around for a while. And they work well under very specific condition. Photoshop isn't going anywhere.
    You really should see the demo. It would take a very skilled person to rebuild the hidden portions of the photo they showed being altered.
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