Productivity software continually explores fresh methods of incorporating AI to enhance the work processes of professionals. Recently, Otter.ai, Slack, and Google Workplace introduced innovative AI capabilities, and now Zoom is joining this trend.
Zoom has introduced its “AI Companion,” previously referred to as Zoom IQ. This AI companion is designed to function as a novel generative AI assistant tailored for the video conferencing platform. Its primary purpose is to streamline and automate tasks that tend to be time-consuming and may not contribute significantly to productivity.
AI Companion is poised to aid users in crafting chat responses
As an illustration, the AI Companion is poised to aid users in crafting chat responses that align with their specific tone and length preferences, taking into account the context and requirements of the message. Commencing later this month, this assistant will extend its capabilities to assist in drafting emails and providing concise summaries of unread chat messages.
Furthermore, the AI Companion is set to enhance users’ comprehension and interaction during video conferences. For instance, in cases where a participant joins a meeting late, the AI assistant can swiftly bring them up to speed.
Subsequent to the meeting, attendees can revisit the smart recordings generated by the AI Companion, which automatically segments the call into intelligently organized chapters, facilitating more accessible reviews. Additionally, the Companion will highlight critical information and even generate action items based on the content of the call.
Should a user be unable to participate in a meeting, they can access the AI Companion’s meeting summary. This summary encompasses detailed accounts of the discussions, identifying speakers and highlighting crucial topics discussed.
Dedication to Ethical AI Practices
In the upcoming fall season, the AI Companion is slated to introduce additional features. These include the ability to detect the intention behind chat messages related to scheduling, accompanied by an automated scheduling button. Moreover, it will offer the capability to generate and present ideas on a digital whiteboard, fostering effective brainstorming sessions.
Zoom also took this opportunity, during the AI Companion announcement, to address recent concerns related to the company’s updated AI privacy policy. The company seeks to reassure users that their data will continue to be safeguarded and will not be utilized for the training of Zoom’s AI models or third-party AI systems.
Zoom’s Chief Product Officer, Smita Hashim, expressed, “In accordance with our dedication to ethical AI practices,” clarifying that Zoom does not utilize any of your audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments, or other forms of communication, such as customer-generated content such as poll results, whiteboard data, and reactions, for the purpose of training either Zoom’s proprietary AI models or third-party artificial intelligence systems.
Starting today, Zoom’s AI Companion is accessible to users with paid Zoom plans at no additional cost. Users also have the option to upgrade to a paid plan to gain access to the AI Companion feature.
