Email Management: ChatGPT or a Human Virtual Assistant?

Handling email and triaging busy inboxes are some of the most popular requests that our US-based Virtual Assistants receive from clients. So when it comes to email management: which is the right choice - ChatGPT or a human Virtual Assistant?

These types of tasks are a big time suck for busy executives (email can consume 30% of a workday!) but it's critical that correspondence is handled with professionalism, details and care. A human Virtual Assistant can summarize email content, send replies, flag important messages and handle correspondence.

So, is it a good idea to entrust something so important to ChatGPT?

There are some good cases for incorporating AI like ChatGPT into your email management, but also reasons to be cautious.

First, technology is not without flaws. Have you ever found an important email stuck in a spam filter?

Despite its advantageous speed, using ChatGPT for developing email content has some problems:

• AI-generated content may not be suitable for personal or delicate situations. Your VA should ensure the communication reflects your tone and personality. I know that I for one, have grown tired of seeing "obvious ChatGPT" language such as "fostering a culture of...", "taking a deeper dive...", "dynamic" and "ever-changing landscape."
  

• Privacy protections are a major consideration especially in cases where HIPAA compliance is needed, or as other sensitive information is shared

• AI has been proven to produce inaccurate or unoriginal content, which can backfire
  

While AI like ChatGPT can enhance productivity by polishing up a draft of an important email, for example, it cannot replace the human touch essential for empathetic and personalized communication. Use AI as a tool to support the work that your human Virtual Assistant does; not as a fullstop replacement.