Yahoo Mail introduces advanced AI tools for enhanced user experience, featuring the ‘Shopping Saver’ tool to uncover forgotten savings like gift cards. It offers suggested messages for vendors to apply these savings post-purchase. Upgrades include search bar prompts for common questions and a writing assistant with diverse tones. Utilizing Google Cloud’s AI platform, these features are now accessible on web browsers after iOS testing. The release follows Google and Microsoft’s AI-driven additions to Gmail and Outlook.
In a recent announcement, Yahoo Mail has introduced a range of advanced AI tools designed to streamline user experiences, both in terms of time efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Among these enhancements are upgrades to the existing AI functionalities within Yahoo Mail, accompanied by the introduction of an innovative tool named ‘Shopping Saver.’ This significant development is brought to you by Yahoo, the parent company of TechCrunch.
The groundbreaking ‘Shopping Saver’ tool has been devised to unearth forgotten treasures in the form of gift cards, discount codes, and store credits. Often overlooked, these potential savings are now surfaced by the tool, which further assists users by composing suggested messages to vendors. These messages are designed to facilitate the application of these savings following a purchase. Notably, studies indicate that almost half of U.S. adults possess unused gift cards, vouchers, or store credits. The primary objective of this new tool is to empower users to optimize their expenditures during online transactions.
Josh Jacobson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo Mail, emphasized the comprehensive suite of tools designed to enhance user convenience and savings. He stated, “We’ve introduced a comprehensive set of tools on Yahoo Mail to enhance time and money management, as we progress toward a more supportive inbox environment. The statistics show that U.S. consumers collectively possess around $23 billion in untapped gift cards and credits. Our novel tools aim to aid users in reclaiming a portion of these funds.”
In tandem with the introduction of the ‘Shopping Saver’ tool, Yahoo Mail is elevating its existing features with valuable upgrades. One notable enhancement relates to the search functionality, where the search bar now goes beyond suggesting keywords. Instead, it offers intuitive prompts for common queries, enabling users to ask questions directly or choose from a curated list of relevant prompts based on their search criteria. For instance, users can inquire about their past week’s grocery expenses with ease. Moreover, refined filters—such as ‘From,’ ‘To,’ and ‘Date’—are now available to help users further refine their search results.
Another enhancement lies in the writing assistant feature, which generates suggested responses in the user’s voice. This assistant now offers a spectrum of tones, broadening its capabilities from just professional and casual options. Users can now select tones like urgent, grateful, or apologetic, adding a personalized touch to their communication.
Yahoo underlines its utilization of Google Cloud’s AI platform for the development of these generative AI features. Originally tested exclusively among iOS users, these AI capabilities are now accessible via web browsers as well. While the company has plans for a wider release of these features, an exact date has not yet been shared.
Today’s announcement arrives amidst Google and Microsoft’s introduction of various generative AI-driven features for Gmail and Outlook over the past year.
