Yahoo is introducing a new AI feature to Yahoo Mail, becoming the latest tech company to jump into the AI boom that will sweep the industry in 2024. The new feature simplifies email and task management, The Verge reports.

The update adds AI-generated email summaries, quick buttons, and email links.

"Email is an essential tool in our daily lives, but even the most dedicated users can be overwhelmed by their inboxes. Yahoo Mail General Manager Rob Gerrick said in a statement." To fix that, we're taking the first steps to enhance the personal email experience with a sleeker design and new AI features to make it easier for the 1 in 3 Americans who use Yahoo Mail every month to get things done."

Summaries are concise bulleted lists that highlight tasks and other suggested actions. As part of the summary update, a new "Priorities" inbox tab will be added. The "Priority" tab will utilize AI to highlight what Yahoo and AI consider to be the most urgent messages.

Much of this is very similar to Google's recently announced AI Gmail feature. Google's AI feature is currently available for a fee for Workspace or Google One AI Premium users. Apple also announced an AI feature for its Mail app in iOS 18.

The Quick Actions button is a tapable button that appears in the inbox and allows users to quickly add events to their calendar, track packages, check in for flights, etc.

When viewing an email, the new button appears as part of the email line.

The final feature to be added is the ability to link the inbox with other email accounts, including Outlook, Gmail, and AOL. Users will be able to send and receive mail from connected accounts within Yahoo Mail.

New users will have immediate access to AI features. Existing Yahoo Mail users can take advantage of this feature today.

While I may have exaggerated a bit above, this is not Yahoo's first foray into AI with Yahoo Mail. Last August, Yahoo introduced an AI-enabled "shopping saver" tool in its Mail app. The feature keeps track of unused gift cards, coupons, and store credits in the email inbox to remind users of their existence. That update also introduced a writing assistant that allows users to draft replies to emails.