The new experimental AI functionality is accessible in English for Chrome users based in the United States, offering assistance in completing various tasks like online reviews, form filling, and messaging.
By Jess Weatherbed, a news writer specializing in creative industries, computing, and internet culture. Jess initiated her professional journey at TechRadar, focusing on news coverage and hardware reviews.
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Google has initiated the rollout of “Help me write” — a novel Gemini-powered generative AI feature integrated into its Chrome browser. This feature is designed to aid users in composing or refining text based on the content of webpages. With the recent launch of Chrome M122, the new writing assistant is now accessible for trial on Mac and Windows PCs for Chrome users in the US who speak English.
“Help me write” is geared towards offering writing suggestions for concise content such as completing online surveys and reviews, inquiring about product details, or crafting descriptions for items listed for sale online. Google emphasizes that the tool can “comprehend the context of the webpage you are visiting” to provide relevant suggestions. For instance, it can highlight key attributes mentioned on a product page when you are drafting a review.
A screenshot exemplifying Google Chrome’s “help me write” feature, prompting to inquire about an early check-in at a hotel.
The visual presentation of the “Help me write” feature has evolved since its initial introduction for Gmail during Google’s I/O event last May. It now manifests as a floating application window adjacent to text fields on webpages, offering distinct options to adjust the text’s length and tone. The functionality provided in the Chrome release mirrors what Microsoft introduced for Edge and Bing search last year.
To access this feature, users in the US must activate Chrome’s Experimental AI. This can be done by navigating to Settings in the three-dot dropdown menu on Chrome desktop, proceeding to the Experimental AI page, selecting “Try out experimental AI features,” choosing “Help me write,” and then clicking on “relaunch.” Subsequently, users can right-click on an open text field on a webpage in Chrome to utilize the writing assistant.
The Google support page includes a cautionary note advising users against sharing personal information such as their name, phone number, address, social security number, or credit card details with the feature. It also warns against using the tool on websites containing sensitive or personal data. However, in the event that such information is input, Google assures that “Chrome will not use it for model training purposes.”
An example screenshot of Google Chrome’s “help me write” feature displaying an advertisement for a pre-owned air fryer.
I remain skeptical about the practical utility of the “Help me write” tool for the general populace. It may not serve as a compelling feature driving the popularity of Edge and Copilot in the past year. While the use cases outlined by Google appear reasonable, the need to fine-tune the prompts and adjust the generated text to align with specific requirements could potentially negate any time-saving advantages it offers. Although there are potential benefits for users with disabilities or those not fully proficient in English, there are also valid concerns, including the tool’s susceptibility to misuse for posting fake or insincere product reviews.
