How to Use AI Tools as Your Personal Executive Assistant

An executive assistant keeps your day organized so you can focus on important work. AI tools can now do much of the routine part:

• Summarize your inbox
• Draft replies in your tone
• Find meeting times
• Prepare you for meetings
• Turn notes into tasks
• Track follow-ups and deadlines
• Research and plan travel

AI handles the routine. You handle the decisions.

Gemini

Best if you live in Gmail, Calendar, and Google Docs

Microsoft Copilot

Best if you use Outlook, Teams, and Microsoft 365

Claude

Strong at writing and prep, with connectors for Gmail, Calendar, and Drive

ChatGPT

Connects to email and calendar apps on paid plans

Agent apps

Grok Bot and Meta Muse can carry out multi-step tasks with your approval

What each tool can read or send depends on your plan and, at work, your admin settings. Check before you rely on it.

I am [role]. My top priorities this quarter are [priorities]. Important people: [names and roles]. My working hours are [hours]. I prefer [meeting rules]. My tone in email is [tone]. Always ask before sending anything or accepting meetings.

Save this in custom instructions, a Claude Project, or a ChatGPT project, so you never repeat it.

Give me today’s briefing: my meetings with a one-line prep note for each, the five most important unread emails, deadlines this week, and anything I promised to do.

• Sort emails into: reply today, this week, read later, and ignore
• Draft replies to the urgent ones
• Unsubscribe from newsletters you never read
• Flag emails that need a decision from you

Let AI draft. Send only what you have read.

• Find times that suit everyone
• Protect focus blocks
• Add buffers between meetings
• Draft invites with an agenda
• Suggest meetings to cancel or shorten

Prepare me for my meeting with [person or company]. Summarize our recent emails, open issues, their goals, and three questions I should ask.

• Record or transcribe meetings where everyone agrees
• Summarize decisions and action items
• Draft the follow-up email
• Add tasks to your to-do list with due dates

• Research travel options within your budget
• Draft documents and reports
• Compare vendors or products
• Remind you of renewals and important dates

Always approve before your assistant:

• Sends emails or messages
• Accepts or declines meetings
• Books or buys anything
• Shares files
• Deletes anything

• Follow your company’s AI rules for work email
• Connect only the accounts you need
• Never share passwords or one-time codes in chat
• Check training and data settings
• Remove connections you no longer use

Morning

Briefing and inbox triage: 10 minutes

Before meetings

One prep summary each

After meetings

Notes, tasks, and follow-up drafts

End of day

Review drafts and plan tomorrow