I sent an email without opening Gmail thanks to Chat GPT's new feature — then I found the catch | Tech Radar

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I sent an email without opening Gmail thanks to Chat GPT's new feature — then I found the catch

Chat GPT's new ability to send emails feels like the future of AI assistants, until you need an attachment

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Chat GPT can now draft and send emails without leaving the chat window

The feature currently works only with connected Gmail and Outlook accounts

You can't send attachments, which limits its usefulness

I asked Chat GPT to write and send an email for me. It drafted the message, connected to my inbox, and prepared it for sending without me ever opening Gmail. For a moment, it felt like the AI assistant we've been promised for years. Then I tried to attach a file — and I was brought crashing back down to earth.

Chat GPT's new ability to send emails directly from within a chat, which quietly dropped yesterday, is available to most paid Chat GPT users in the web version of Chat GPT right now. It only works if you have connected your Gmail or Outlook account to Chat GPT, so it won't work across all email clients, and there are other limitations too.

For instance, as I discovered, you can't send attachments yet, which is a pretty big problem if Open AI wants people to take Chat GPT more seriously as an AI assistant.

The final limitation is that you can't do this on Free or Go accounts, or through the Chat GPT apps on desktop and mobile. Sending emails is available only on the web version of Chat GPT for users on Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans.

I have to admit, it was quite a thrill the first time I tried sending an email from within the chat. I used it to send an idea for a story to my work email address, and I asked Chat GPT to provide some background information on the subject. I didn't type out the whole email — I just trusted Chat GPT to come up with the contents and include the link to the source I provided.

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Chat GPT told me exactly what it was going to do, and displayed a dialog box explaining the action it was about to take, asking whether I wanted to Allow or Deny it. I clicked Details to review the exact email it planned to send and, happy with what I saw, I clicked Allow. Seconds later, the email arrived in my work inbox.

Of course, it failed at sending an attachment, but the fact that you can do all of this from within the chat is what's impressive. If you're already working in Chat GPT, it means you can send an email without interrupting your flow.

If you haven't connected your Gmail or Outlook account, open Settings, choose Apps, then Add more, and search for either Gmail or Outlook to connect it.

What makes the feature notable is that not every AI assistant can do this yet. When I asked Gemini to send an email for me, Google's chatbot replied that it couldn't send messages directly, or access my accounts to do so. Gemini can help draft emails, but Chat GPT's ability to actually connect to your inbox and complete the task is a glimpse of where AI assistants are heading.

The new ability to send email might be limited right now, but like most things Open AI releases, it's likely to improve over time. Even so, the lack of attachment support feels like a significant omission. Sending files is one of the most common reasons people use email, and until Chat GPT can handle that, and also deal with reading emails, it's difficult to see it replacing a traditional email client.

Still, it's a promising first step. I also hope to see support for more email providers in the future. Starting with Gmail and Outlook covers a huge percentage of users, though, so there's a good chance you can try the feature for yourself today.

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Graham is the Senior Editor for AI at Tech Radar. With over 25 years of experience in both online and print journalism, Graham has worked for various market-leading tech brands including Computeractive, PC Pro, i More, Mac Format, Mac|Life, Maximum PC, and more. He specializes in reporting on everything to do with AI and has appeared on BBC TV shows like BBC One Breakfast and on Radio 4 commenting on the latest trends in tech. Graham has an honors degree in Computer Science and spends his spare time podcasting and blogging.

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• Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards