Google's "Help me write" feature, powered by AI, debuts in Chrome M122, aiding users in drafting text based on webpage content

Google has initiated the rollout of its new experimental feature called "Help me write," powered by Gemini, an AI technology, within its Chrome browser. This feature aims to assist users in writing or refining text based on the content of webpages they are browsing. Following the recent stable release of Chrome M122, "Help me write" is now available for testing on Mac and Windows PCs for English-speaking Chrome users in the US.

Google has initiated the rollout of its new experimental feature called "Help me write," powered by Gemini, an AI technology, within its Chrome browser

The primary focus of "Help me write" is to provide writing suggestions for short-form content, such as completing digital surveys, writing reviews, inquiring about product information, or drafting descriptions for items being sold online. Google emphasizes that the tool can comprehend the context of the webpage a user is on, allowing it to pull relevant information into its suggestions. For instance, it can highlight key features mentioned on a product page when a user is leaving a review.

The feature has undergone visual changes since its initial announcement for Gmail during Google's I/O event last May. It now appears as a floating application window beside webpage text fields, offering separate options to adjust the length and tone of the text. The functionality offered in Chrome is similar to what Microsoft introduced for Edge and Bing search last year.

To access the feature, users in the US need to enable Chrome's Experimental AI. This can be done by navigating to Settings within the three-dot drop-down menu on Chrome desktop, then selecting the Experimental AI page. From there, users can click on "Try out experimental AI features," choose "Help me write," and then "relaunch." Once enabled, users can right-click on an open text field on a webpage to use the writing assistant feature.

However, Google advises users not to provide personal information such as their name, phone number, address, social security number, or credit card information to the feature. The tool should also not be used on websites containing personal or sensitive information. Google assures users that Chrome will not use such information for model training purposes.

While Google presents various potential use cases for the "Help me write" tool, its overall utility remains uncertain. While it may offer time-saving benefits for some users, others may find that the time spent adjusting the resulting text diminishes these benefits. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential misuse of the tool, such as leaving fake or disingenuous product reviews. Despite these reservations, the feature may still offer benefits for disabled users or those not entirely fluent in English.

primary focus of "Help me write" is to provide writing suggestions for short-form content, such as completing digital surveys, writing reviews, inquiring about product information, or drafting descriptions