I let AI write my emails for a week - here's where it helped, and where it broke my voice
Our inboxes used to be conversations. Now they feel like debt. I wanted relief, so I handed the wheel to Gemini in Google Workspace and ran a five-day experiment.
The results were clear. It crushed the repetitive tasks. It also made me sound like a corporate bot. Here's the breakdown and a workable system you can use without losing your voice.
Days 1-3: The cheat code phase
The first three days felt unfair in the best way. Gemini handled the dull stuff without complaints-meeting slots, receipt confirmations, short declines, and friendly nudges. Click, generate, done.
Because it plugs into Gmail, Drive, and Calendar, it has context. No copy-pasting threads into a separate chatbot. A teammate couldn't find last month's invoice. Instead of digging through Drive, I asked: "Find the Dell monitors receipt from last March and draft a reply with the PDF attached." It did. Start to finish.
For writers, this is gold. The admin layer melts away so you can keep your head in the work that pays.
Day 4: The corporate-bot problem
By day four, the pattern showed up. The tone was clean, but lifeless. It recycled the same safe lines-polite, polished, and empty. People noticed. The conversations felt less human.
I tried better prompts. It helped, but the robot accent bled through. If I spend three minutes engineering a prompt just to sound normal, I might as well write the email myself.
Common AI clichés and better swaps
- "I hope this finds you well" → "Hey [Name]" or "Jumping right in." (Safest opening = bland.)
- "I appreciate your patience" → "Sorry for the delay." (Polite, but sidesteps responsibility.)
- "Let's delve into…" → "Let's look at…" (High-syllable verbs that sound academic.)
- "Using industry-leading solutions to…" → "We're using…" (Makes simple things sound grand.)
- "In a fast-paced world" → Delete entirely. (Filler to pad weak openings.)
Day 5: Put the AI on junior-intern duty
I didn't fire it. I demoted it. Gemini is strong at pulling pieces together and structuring drafts. It's not the final voice. That's yours.
Where it fell short: gut feel, timing, and emotional nuance. The stuff that makes relationships work. Here are the rules I landed on.
My ground rules for AI in email
- Never "insert and send." Always "insert, edit, then send."
- No AI for apologies. If I messed up, I write it. AI apologies read cold.
- No AI for negotiations or sensitive topics. Too much nuance at stake.
- Use it for synthesis. Have it summarize long threads, then verify every actionable point before replying.
A risk writers should watch
After a week of autopilot, writing a simple email felt harder than it should. That's the real risk for writers. Not sentient machines-atrophied craft.
Emails are reps. They keep your voice sharp. Outsource all of it and you start to sound like everyone else.
A practical email workflow for busy writers (10 minutes)
- 1. Skim and set intent (30-60 seconds): What's the outcome? Confirm, decline, clarify, or move the project forward.
- 2. Ask AI for a skeleton (60-90 seconds): "Summarize this thread in 5 bullets. List decisions, blockers, and a one-paragraph reply."
- 3. Rewrite in your voice (3-5 minutes): Keep the structure; replace the phrasing.
- 4. Add a personal detail (30 seconds): A reference, a line of context, or something specific that proves you read the thread.
- 5. Read aloud (30 seconds): If you wince at a line, cut or rewrite it.
Prompt patterns that actually work
- Concise confirm
"Write a 3-5 sentence reply that confirms X, lists next steps with dates, and avoids filler like 'hope you're well' or 'in alignment.' Keep it plain and direct." - Soft no with context
"Draft a polite decline for this request. Include one sentence of appreciation, one sentence explaining constraints, and one alternative that requires minimal extra work from me." - Clarify without friction
"Create 3 short questions to clarify scope. Each question should be one sentence and framed to reduce back-and-forth."
Keep your voice on file
Build a small voice bank: five past emails that sound like you on a good day-one friendly update, one tough note, one clear ask, one apology, and one negotiation recap. Feed those as style examples when you need help drafting.
Your voice is an asset. Treat it like one.
Where AI shines for writers
- Summarizing long threads into decisions, owners, and dates.
- Drafting project updates from scattered notes.
- Turning transcripts or briefs into bullet-point outlines.
- Generating three variants of subject lines to A/B test tone.
Where you should take the wheel
- Anything with emotion-apologies, conflict, bad news.
- Money, scope, or timeline negotiations.
- Client intros and relationship resets.
- High-stakes approvals.
If you want to go deeper
If you're using Gmail with Workspace, this guide explains the "Help me write" feature and settings: Help me write in Gmail.
If you want structured practice with prompts that keep your tone intact, explore these prompt-building resources: Prompt Courses at Complete AI Training.
Final take
Use AI to clear the admin fog. Keep your name on the lines that matter. That balance gets you speed without losing the signal-your voice.
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