How much time does AI save on email replies?
Everyone claims AI saves time on email. Here is our current estimate, what it is based on, and how we plan to turn it into a real measurement.
This is an estimate, not a test
The figures below are working estimates informed by published research on AI and writing speed, not results of a timed test we ran. This page is marked “In progress” until we have timed it properly using the measurement method described below.
The estimate
- By hand: about 8 minutes per reply on average.
- With AI (including editing): about 3 minutes.
- Saved: roughly 4-6 minutes per email, or about 50-60%.
If you write 20 replies a day, that could be well over an hour back daily. But an average hides the interesting part: the spread.
Where AI should save the most, and least
- Biggest wins: longer, factual, or repetitive replies, the kind where you know what to say but writing it politely takes effort.
- Smallest wins: one-line replies. Typing “Yes, Thursday works” is faster than prompting an AI. Here AI can actually cost time.
- The tricky middle: sensitive emails (saying no, handling a complaint). An AI draft is a fine starting point, but editing to get the tone exactly right can eat most of the saving, though a draft can reduce the stress of starting.
The honest caveat
Every reply still needs a human edit, and the 3-minute figure includes that edit. AI drafts can be too generic or confidently include a detail that isn’t true. The saving comes from AI doing the first draft, not the final send. Treat it as a fast typist, not a replacement for your judgment.
How we will measure it
To turn this estimate into a measured number, we plan to follow one fixed method: the same person drafts each reply both ways, in random order to avoid learning effects; “with AI” time is counted from opening the tool to a send-ready draft, including all editing; and a reply only counts as done when it is genuinely good enough to send. Once a task has been timed this way, it will be marked “Tested” and this page updated with the real numbers.
Try it on your own numbers
Plug your daily email volume into the calculator to see your own estimated weekly saving.
Common questions
How much time does AI actually save on an email reply?
Our working estimate is about 4-6 minutes per reply, from roughly 8 minutes by hand to roughly 3 with an AI first draft plus editing. This is an estimate informed by published research, not yet a measurement we have timed ourselves. Simple, factual replies should save the most; sensitive or high-stakes ones the least.
Does using AI for email make replies worse?
Not if you edit. An AI draft can get you most of the way, but every reply still needs a human pass for tone and accuracy. Sent unedited, some will be too generic or subtly off.
Which emails are NOT worth using AI for?
Very short replies (a one-line yes/no is faster to just type) and emotionally sensitive ones, where the time you spend fixing the tone can cancel out the saving.