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Superhuman AI, the email startup that aims to get you to inbox zero, has launched a new feature that gives you three contextual replies to choose from. The feature, called Instant Replies, is part of the company’s plan to double down on AI-fueled functionality this year.
How Instant Replies Work
Instant Replies are similar to Gmail’s smart replies, but Superhuman AI claims its feature is more contextual and personal. The idea is to help you respond to emails faster and more efficiently.
When you hit reply to an email, you will see three potential reply options. The prompts are short, but when you click on any of them, Superhuman AI writes out a full-sentence reply for you.
For example, when you tap on “Interested” to an email asking you to speak on a panel, the client types out a full sentence with the sender’s name. You can press the tab to switch between replies and press enter to send one. The company said that users who were part of the beta test of Instant Replies are sending emails twice as fast.
Other AI-powered products
Instant Replies are not the only AI-powered product that Superhuman AI has launched. Last year, the company introduced Superhuman AI, which helps users draft better emails with options to change the length or tone. In January, the company extended the functionality to iPhone and iPad apps as well. In November, the startup launched an auto-summarize feature, which shows a one-line summary on top of your emails.
Superhuman AI is not the only email client that uses AI to enhance the user experience. Some of its competitors, such as Shortwave, Spark, Outlook, and Gmail, have also included AI-powered features in their email workflows. These features range from asking AI questions about emails, to instant summaries, AI assistants, and more.
Superhuman AI’s roadmap and vision
Superhuman AI’s co-founder and CEO Rahul Vohra told TechCrunch that the key differentiator for the company in terms of AI-powered features is its stickiness. He noted that an average user uses AI 25 times a week to write emails.
He also shared the company’s roadmap and vision for its AI-powered products. He said that the first phase was having an assistant for the email; the second phase is to have AI work automatically without invoking it with features like auto-summary and Instant Replies; and the third phase will replace certain parts of a user’s daily workflow like using an AI agent for scheduling or writing full emails on their behalf.
Vohra said that the company could be profitable anytime it wants and it is a strategic decision. The company’s CEO mentioned that it has five years of runway. So a new funding round is not something he is thinking about on a “day-to-day” basis.
Superhuman AI has kept its price of $30 per month consistent since its launch. But Vohra mentioned that the company might revisit its pricing later this year.
He said that apart from investing in AI products, the company is focusing on making its offering for teams stronger. He envisioned a platform for smart collaboration, where instead of constantly forwarding or writing an email, internally you can just share a thread. And then on that shared thread, you can put comments and reactions.
He also said that the company is thinking about building special edition email clients for specific use cases, starting with Superhuman AI for sales directed toward account executives and customer managers with integrations like Salesforce and HubSpot.
What is the difference between Superhuman AI and Gmail’s smart replies?
Both Superhuman AI and Gmail’s smart replies feature provide users with three options for responding to an email. Superhuman AI claims that its feature is more contextual and personalized than Gmail’s. According to Superhuman AI, its feature generates full-sentence replies for the user, whereas Gmail’s feature only provides short phrases. Superhuman AI claims that its feature is more adaptable, learning from the user’s writing style and preferences.
In contrast, Gmail’s feature is based on general patterns and trends observed by millions of users. The Superhuman AI feature is part of a larger vision to use AI to improve email productivity and collaboration, whereas the Gmail feature is one of many AI-powered tools that Google provides to its users.
