Shortwave, an innovative email client developed by former Google engineers, is unveiling a range of exciting new AI-powered features. These enhancements include instant email summaries right at the top of your inbox, a writing assistant that can mimic your style, and improved AI functionalities available on both iOS and Android devices. Additionally, users can now utilize multi-select AI actions for streamlined email management.
Originally introduced last year, the AI-powered summaries required manual activation to generate. However, with the new instant summary feature, users can effortlessly view a concise one-sentence summary of an email or thread automatically.
By tapping on this summary, you can access a more detailed overview and even engage the assistant with questions regarding the email thread, making it particularly handy for quickly navigating multiple messages.
To keep costs low, Shortwave utilizes open-source models along with its proprietary GPUs for crafting these brief summaries. The more detailed summaries are created using GPT-4 Turbo.
Additionally, Shortwave is expanding its AI Assistant feature, initially launched in September 2023, to iOS and Android users. This assistant aids in drafting emails, conducting web searches, and answering queries about your current email thread. You can even ask the assistant to search for specific topics, such as “When did I last discuss XYZ company?”—though this feature does come with a fee.
Shortwave has also introduced an AI multiselect option that allows you to pick multiple threads and query the assistant for insights. This functionality is ideal for searching through emails on specific topics or from particular senders and then asking the assistant for additional information about those emails.
While Gmail has offered smart autocomplete features for some time, Shortwave is now launching its unique version capable of generating longer sentences. Users can accept suggestions with the tab key, similar to Gmail’s functionality.
Andrew Lee, co-founder of Shortwave, describes this as a “GitHub Copilot for emails.” He shared that the feature adapts to your writing style, enabling it to craft personalized responses.
These features are rolling out to users this week, with instant summaries, AI multiselect, and the mobile assistant accessible to all. However, the AI autocomplete function will be exclusive to Pro and Business plan subscribers.
Since last year, Shortwave has revamped its pricing strategy. Instead of offering a free version alongside standard ($9 per seat per month) and enterprise options, the new structure includes a $7 monthly personal plan, a $24 monthly Pro plan, and a $24 monthly business plan for teams.
In September 2023, Lee reported that the email app had around 20,000 monthly active users. While he did not provide updated figures, he indicated that there is a greater focus on enhancing business and enterprise plans.
“There is significant demand for AI-driven writing and search capabilities, especially among power users and businesses,” Lee stated. “That's why we're integrating AI more directly into the main editing interface to help users prioritize their emails effectively.”
Shortwave is not alone in leveraging AI technology; both Microsoft and Google have integrated AI features into Outlook and Gmail. Additionally, email applications like Superhuman and Boomerang have launched their own AI-enhanced tools to assist users in efficient email communication.
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