AI Email Categorization | Reduce Spam - Superhuman

Superhuman Leverages AI for Enhanced Email Management

Over two years have passed since the initial release of ChatGPT, sparking a wave of AI integration across various platforms. Email applications were quick to adopt AI-driven writing assistance and summarization tools. Many also introduced AI-powered search functionalities to streamline inbox navigation.

Now, Superhuman is utilizing AI to address a significant challenge for email users: effective categorization.

Past Attempts at Email Categorization

Google previously explored automated email organization with its Inbox client. However, this service was discontinued in 2019. Subsequently, numerous email clients, including Gmail itself, have attempted to replicate this functionality, achieving varying degrees of success.

Introducing Superhuman’s Auto Label Feature

Superhuman’s new Auto Label feature aims to automatically categorize emails into predefined labels such as marketing, pitches, social media updates, and news. Users also have the flexibility to create custom labels through prompt engineering.

The email client prioritizes rapid email processing. Therefore, users can also configure auto-archiving for specific labels, reducing clutter from categories they don’t require immediate visibility into.

Addressing the Issue of Spam and Marketing Emails

“Over the past year, a common request from our users was to better manage the increasing volume of unsolicited marketing and spam emails,” explained Superhuman CEO Rahul Vohra in an interview with TechCrunch. “Initially, we relied on the spam filters provided by Gmail and Outlook, but found them insufficient. This led us to develop our own classification system through these new labels.”

Limitations of the Initial Release

Currently, the Auto Label feature does not allow direct editing of the prompts used for category creation. If a prompt isn’t performing as expected, users must generate a new one to refine the categorization process.

Enhanced Split Inbox Functionality

Superhuman’s Split Inbox feature, which allows filtering emails based on specific criteria, has been expanded. Users can now create Split Inboxes utilizing their custom labels in conjunction with existing filters.

Improved Reminder System with AI Assistance

Superhuman is also refining its reminder system. Users can already snooze emails for later review. Now, when replying to emails requesting a response, the app will automatically resurface the email after a user-defined period if no reply is received.

This feature includes an AI-powered auto-drafting capability. It generates follow-up messages in the user’s voice, maintaining the context and tone of the original conversation, acting as a “gentle nudge” to recipients.

Future Development Plans

Vohra indicated that the company’s next focus is integrating various knowledge bases representing the user, such as personal websites and wikis. The app already integrates with user calendars.

By leveraging this contextual information, Superhuman’s AI could eventually auto-draft complete email replies and even send some automatically, with user approval. For example, it could propose meeting times in response to a scheduling request.

IFTTT-Style Workflows and AI Prompting

Superhuman also plans to implement IFTTT-like (If This Then That) workflows combined with AI prompting. For instance, emails related to recruitment could trigger a pre-defined AI-generated reply and automatic forwarding to the relevant HR department based on specific criteria.

Conclusion

While fully automated email responses remain a future goal, addressing the challenge of email categorization is achievable today. Superhuman’s new label feature appears promising, provided it accurately sorts emails into the appropriate categories.