When it was announced that Gmail was getting some sort of AI addition that would scan you email text, and provide some quick possible responses, I thought it was a bit weird, but never imagined I would use it, and promptly forgot about it.

When it arrived, it was pretty innocuous, and I generally ignore the bold blue words, write my own reply, and go on my merry way. Sure I have clicked on one here or there, but they never really seem that much of a time saver in my opinion.

But when I was writing a reply today, it started looking too much like the suggested result, and gave me pause.

I mean, sure, I am happy for it to suggest answers to a quick question asking for permission to do something. It makes sense that it can understand the context of the question, and know that a quick reply giving assent might be warranted. I am happy with an AI doing that.

What I dont like, is the added exclamation point.

I don’t know why. But I don’t like the AI suggesting excitement. I don’t like it telling me how to feel. I am a contrarian by nature, so perhaps this is just my usual reaction when I am told to act in a certain way, or think a certain thought.

Maybe it also bugs me, because it seems like it would be more fake to send something that presents some kind of emotional response, which wasn’t directly written by me. Passing on a simple ‘Sure’ doesnt have any extra connotations, ‘Sure!’ does.

But maybe, like so many things, I am overthinking it.

Random though over.