Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Welcome to Tech News Briefing. It's Friday, January 23rd. I'm Peter Ciampelli for The Wall Street Journal. Google wants to use AI to change the way we use email. From ghostwriting to a new summarizing tool, they're picturing a less tedious Gmail. And we're previewing the changes that'll be coming to your inbox soon. Then, BYD has replaced Tesla as the world's top electric vehicle seller.
It's leading a pack of Chinese automakers whose exports are exceeding expectations. Last year, BYD delivered over a million cars outside China, more than double the previous year's total. We're taking a look at how they beat the odds and what the road ahead could look like.
Chapter 2: What new AI tools is Google rolling out for Gmail?
But first, Nicole Nguyen, Wall Street Journal personal tech columnist, has a familiar problem. Thousands and thousands of unread emails cluttering her inbox. Gmail is starting to roll out AI tools that they say can help. So last week, Nicole put her inbox in Gemini's hands and put the new tools to the test.
Nicole, what kind of tools is Gmail rolling out and how do they fit into the overall suite of Google's AI tools?
There are a few different buckets. So one bucket of new Gmail tools is a ghostwriter slash proofreader. Gmail wants you to get in and out of email quickly. And people spend something like 20 percent of their time. actually writing emails and the other 80% is just sort of managing the mess.
And that 20% they think could be helped by a prompt button called Help Me Write that lets you write one sentence or maybe two sentences, a short prompt, and then it'll like auto-generate the other email formalities. But they are one upping this technology by using generative AI, also training on your years and years of Gmail data to mimic your voice. So a new feature called Suggested Replies is
Chapter 3: How did BYD become the world's top electric vehicle seller?
You'll see in the reply box underneath an email you've received a sort of pre-filled out email that it thinks sounds like your voice and what you would say. And it can copy your style. And then there's another kind of AI-powered feature. They're creating...
this separate inbox called AI inbox that bubbles up to the top things that it thinks are action items from your email that are important, like forms from your dentist or a vehicle registration renewal notice from the DMV.
Chapter 4: What factors contributed to BYD's success in global markets?
And it'll summarize that email and create a task list for you. And a part of that management suite is also this new kind of way to search. So if I search, for example, what is my shoe size at Ultra, which is like a writing shoe, it'll look through my order history emails in Gmail and then just give me the answer right up at the top.
How did the suggested replies in the Ghostwriter tool differ from the kind of auto responses that people already use in Gmail?
Those are canned. Gmail is using some kind of smarts to serve you those auto replies. But these suggested replies are full-fledged emails with the header, your outro, Nicole-ism or Peter-ism that you would usually write when writing emails. It can include relevant information from previous emails.
And Help Me Write, which is a different tool than suggested replies, is this little sparkly new pencil tool. One of the most common concerns and complaints that people have with AI tools are the rates of hallucination.
Should users be concerned about this with Gmail's tools?
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Chapter 5: What challenges does BYD face in expanding its market presence?
Yes, and I think that's why they're rolling out these tools really slowly, and they're testing it with a limited subset of people and then broadening it out to a wider audience. They definitely don't want to break a fundamental communication tool for 3 billion people, which is the size of Gmail's platform.
Who are Gmail's competitors in the AI email arena?
Gmail is definitely the dominant email provider and has been for a long time. But for sure, Outlook is giving Gmail a run for its money. And there are also AI native inboxes from companies like Superhuman and Fixer AI that do all of the things that I've just mentioned already. But they are pricey because they're aimed at a corporate consumer.
And so Gmail's rollout of these kinds of features is really compelling because it's more likely that your mom and your cousin and... your colleagues will all start to use these kinds of tools.
That was Wall Street Journal personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen. In what areas of your daily life do you use AI? If you're a listener on Spotify, let us know in the comments. Coming up, Chinese electric vehicles from companies like BYD are doing big business outside of China. Could the U.S. be their next market? That's after the break.
Chinese car companies like BYD have gained a stronger foothold in the global auto market over the past few years, especially in the EV market. With pressure to increase exports and a warm reception in the West, sales may only be revving up. But could tariffs and political challenges throw them off course? Wall Street Journal reporter Stephen Wilmot joins us to explain this shifting landscape.
Stephen, how did BYD become so popular globally, and where is it having the most success?
There have been two waves, essentially, of Chinese car exports. And the first wave was centered on emerging markets and combustion engines a few years ago. Russia was a big target market. Then last year, we got a much more interesting wave of exports, and BYD is very much the lead in that, and that's much more high-tech, focused on electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.
And they've been appealing to Western European consumers, for example. Also emerging markets, places like Mexico and Brazil, Australia, they're highly attractive products, and they've pitched them at quite affordable prices, and consumers are lapping them up where they can.
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