6 Ethical Ways to Use Gemini at Work to Simplify Your Life

Gemini has immense potential, but not everyone knows how to fully leverage it.

It's clear that Gemini surpasses Google Assistant in accuracy and capability. It can handle a variety of tasks beyond just playing music or controlling smart lights. While it can't create original content or completely replace complex jobs like software development, it can significantly ease your workload by handling several monotonous tasks. Here are six ethical ways to use Gemini at work:

1. Hands-Free Email Checking

One of Gemini's standout features is its ability to interact with Gmail through "Extensions." This allows the chatbot to read emails and documents stored in your Google account. This feature is particularly handy on mobile devices, enabling hands-free email checking. For instance, you can ask, "What was the statement total of my credit card in December 2023?" and Gemini will pull up the relevant email and read out the information. This can save you from fumbling with your phone or sifting through countless messages. If you doubt Gemini's accuracy, it usually lists the emails it referenced at the bottom of its responses for quick verification.

2. Extract Information from Long YouTube Videos

If you need to find information in a lengthy video tutorial or meeting recording, Gemini can help. By pasting the YouTube URL into a new prompt, you can ask Gemini questions about the video. It scans the transcript and answers your queries, eliminating the need to scrub through video timelines. Note that Gemini doesn't actually watch the videos; it uses the transcript to provide answers, so it might not work as well with non-English content.

3. Create Tables and Manage Spreadsheets

Gemini can handle many spreadsheet-related tasks efficiently. For example, you can ask it to read several emails and compile a spreadsheet with the data. If your job involves compiling expenses, you can ask Gemini to read through receipts and create a table that can be exported to Google Sheets. While it still has some limitations, like needing specific keywords to fetch accurate information, it can be a big time-saver.

4. Write Small Scripts to Automate Tasks

Even without programming knowledge, you can use Gemini to automate mundane tasks. For instance, if you need to fetch data from multiple websites daily, you can ask Gemini to create a script to automate this process. It can even guide you through learning basic web scraping. Gemini can help with more complex tasks, like monitoring a product's stock level and sending push notifications when it's available. If you encounter issues, you can ask Gemini for step-by-step instructions to troubleshoot.

5. Break Down Reports for Insights

When reviewing extensive reports, Gemini can extract key information quickly. Instead of manually analyzing a sales report, you can ask the chatbot to identify trends and anomalies. This can be particularly useful in sales, marketing, or finance. You can also upload tables with unfamiliar abbreviations, and Gemini can analyze and explain the data, offering insights you might have missed.

6. Manage Emails Efficiently

Gemini excels at language-related tasks, including managing emails. You can ask it to summarize your unread emails or find messages from specific contacts. For example, you can ask, "How much did my hotel room cost in Tokyo last month?" Although a Gemini Advanced subscription is required to use it with your Gmail inbox, the free version can still answer specific questions if you explicitly instruct it to read your emails.

By utilizing these features, you can make your work life easier and more efficient with Gemini.