I’ve been skeptical of embracing AI, as an intelligent person should be in 2026.
Beyond the societal implications of the technology, AI has proven to be error-prone to say the least, with every model donning a clear and present warning about the very real possibility of mistakes.
That’s why I was hesitant to give the Daily Brief from Gemini a try. I didn’t want to start my day having to figure out which tasks and to-dos were real and which ones were convincing hallucinations.
Much to my surprise, though, the new AI-powered feature provides some exceptionally helpful nudges and reminders, with the errors being largely superficial and easily spotted.
It can make a lot of everyday tasks a lot easier
I got the notification out of nowhere a few weeks ago, and I was curious. What could a “daily brief” possibly be, and how many AI errors would it contain?
Immediately upon opening it, I was impressed. For one, the layout makes sense. There are little headers to keep it organized, and it’s clearly set in order of importance, focusing on tasks with due dates first, then going on to more vague suggestions about upcoming tasks and events.
More importantly, though, the briefs are helpful and (mostly) accurate. I’ve received genuinely valuable information, helping and reminding me to resolve scheduling conflicts, follow up on emails, and even write this article.
Even better, the Daily Brief was not only pulling information out and repackaging it, but also suggesting actionable tasks to move along specific projects.
For my upcoming headlining set at Zanies in Chicago, it suggests “room-filling marketing ideas” and “refining my new hour.”
And while I would never ask AI for help with comedy, due to its horrid sense of humor, the suggestion is a helpful reminder regardless.
Daily Brief is clearly pulling from more than just Gmail and Calendar.
Some of the information in my brief could only be gleaned from Google Drive services like Docs or Sheets, providing a far more comprehensive brief than I expected.
You can even click specific brief items to see which services were accessed to provide the item, and you can edit which services Gemini has access to.
While I am undeniably impressed by the new Daily Brief feature, it is not perfect.
The system is still fueled by Gemini, the AI model from Google, which by its own admission “can make mistakes,” according to the warning label attached to every prompt.
The Daily Brief is no different. There are mistakes. Sometimes it will get the source of information wrong or misattribute an address to a specific location.
In one case, I noticed that it had mixed up the company I was hosting an event for with the company that owned the space where the event would be.
All in all, these weren’t massive mistakes because I haven’t been using the Daily Brief as the end-all, be-all of my schedule. Instead, it acts as a reminder of the many tasks I have to tackle on a given day.
And because I’m already familiar with the topics being briefed on, I can spot the small errors and ignore them, rather than letting them get in the way.
To get started with Daily Brief, you need a paid Gemini account, which will cost you at least $4.99 per month. That could be a barrier to entry for many users, with many still enjoying the free accounts.
If you have a paid account, open Gemini, access the sidebar on the left, and directly beneath Search chats, you’ll find the Daily brief button.
Push that, and you’ll immediately be provided with your daily brief. Make sure you enable notifications too, so you’re notified when you get a new brief.
You’ll also want to be sure to check out the Connected Apps setting in Gemini to ensure that you have the most comprehensive experience.
You can connect all Google Workspace apps like Gmail, Docs, and Calendar, as well as other services like YouTube, WhatsApp, and Spotify.
I’m just as skeptical as the next person about AI, but the Daily Brief feels like exactly what it’s supposed to be used for.
Technology should provide me with simple reminders, scheduling advice, and logical next steps for upcoming projects, so that I can remember to do them myself.
I don’t want AI that writes jokes for me, I don’t want AI to schedule meetings for me, and I don’t want AI that makes art, writes poems, or produces content that humans are supposed to be making.
I just want it to remind me to do those things when I have the time.
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