Google Smart Reply
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Google's Smart Reply tool uses machine learning to recognise which emails require a response and generate three short relevant and appropriate answers based on past responses.
Introduced in 2015 to Google's now defunct Inbox app and extended to Gmail in 2017 and Google Docs in 2021, Smart Reply has been seen as a convenient way to respond quickly to emails that deserve fast, simple answers.
System 🤖
Smart Reply
Documents 📃
Kannan A. et al (2016). Smart Reply: Automated Response Suggestion for Email (pdf)
Google (2015). Computer, respond to this email: Introducing Smart Reply in Inbox by Gmail
Google Research (2015). Computer, respond to this email
Operator: Alphabet/Google
Developer: Alphabet/Google
Country: USA; Global
Sector: Multiple
Purpose: Respond to communication
Technology: NLP/text analysis; Neural network; Deep learning; Machine learning
Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Privacy
Transparency: Complaints/appeals
Risks and harms 🛑
Google Smart Reply has been criticised for appearing inaccurate and invasive, perpetuating bias and potentially misinterpreting the context of users' communication, leading to inappropriate or insensitive automated responses.
Incidents and issues 🔥
While Google attempted to placate users about privacy concerns at the launch of Smart Reply, some people complained that the system felt 'creepy' and invasive, and that they had no way to opt -out.
In 2020, Google announced it would allow users to opt-out of Smart Reply and other 'smart' features, partly as an attempt to persuade regulators that it offered 'genuine' user choice around how it processes data.
Some users and commentators have complained that Smart Reply can be inaccurate and unreliable. For example, some report seeing 'Sent from my iPhone' as a suggested reply, while others have spied 'I love you'.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the responses generated by Smart Reply can sound 'anachronistic, curt, or out of character'. Writer Seamus O'Reilly commented in The Guardian equated Smart Reply with 'alien weirdness' and said he thought the responses came across as tone-deaf.
Related 🌐
Page info
Type: System
Published: July 2023
Last updated: May 2024