I’ve been struggling with how to word my stance on AI with regard to my email service, Port87. Today I sat down and compiled some research to quantify my stance on it, and why I won’t be using it.
What made me want to do this now more than ever is the recent announcement that Gmail will now use AI to read your email and give you a summary instead of just showing you your email. You know, because human beings can’t be bothered to decide whether an email is important without an AI risking their security to tell them they need to pick up their dog from the vet.
It feels like email was useful fifteen or twenty years ago. Now it’s just receipts and appointment reminders.
You forgot spam.
And newsletters you technically signed up for… well, more like, were tricked and deceived to accept. It’s the opt-out style we see on every site.
If 99% of the recipients never consciously consented to receiving the newsletter, how valuable can it really be to those who send them? I don’t think people even read their emails very much, so it’s not very likely for that 1% to even see the newsletter.
If that’s all you use it for, then that’s all that will be in there. Email is as useful as you make it.
Most of my friends have moved away from email in preference of instant messaging. Emails are rarely answered, but IMs typically get a quick response.