Otter, the AI-powered assembly assistant that transcribes audio in actual time, is including one other layer of AI to its product with immediately’s introduction of Assembly GenAI, a brand new set of AI instruments for conferences. Included with GenAI is an AI chatbot you’ll be able to question to get details about previous conferences you’ve recorded with Otter, an AI chat function that can be utilized by groups and an AI dialog abstract that gives an summary of the assembly that passed off, so that you don’t need to learn the total transcript to catch up.

Though journalists and college students might use AI to report issues like interviews or lectures, Otter’s new AI options are aimed extra at those that leverage the assembly helper in a company atmosphere. The corporate envisions the brand new instruments as a complement or substitute for the AI options provided by totally different companies like Microsoft Copilot, Zoom AI Companion and Google Duet, for instance.

Explains Otter CEO Sam Liang, the concept to introduce the brand new AI instruments was impressed by his personal busy schedule.

“I even have 30 — typically greater than 30 — conferences each week. Typically I’m even double-booked. I couldn’t go to 2 or three conferences on the similar time, however my Otter autopilot would tune into these conferences on my behalf,” he stated, referring to the Otter function that lets an AI bot report a gathering so that you can overview later.

Now, customers will be capable of learn an AI-generated abstract of what was coated in that assembly, together with a paragraph adopted by an inventory of motion objects. Otter’s clients can even now work together with an AI chatbot the place they will ask questions on what passed off prior to now assembly or others.

Picture Credit: Otter

For instance, you possibly can ask the AI chatbot issues like “What did the CMO say?” or “Did they alter the launch date?”

Whereas Liang admits Otter isn’t the primary to supply an AI companion for conferences — Microsoft Copilot and Zoom’s AI companion even have an identical function — he believes that Otter’s model is extra highly effective and extra complete.

“You need to use AI chat to question your complete assembly historical past,” he explains. Which means you’ll be able to return to ask questions on prior conferences, not simply the one you’re reviewing.

One other function presents an AI chatbot that joins Otter’s channels the place group chats happen. Right here, the bot interacts like another chat with one other participant and might be invoked by anybody who asks Otter a query. For instance, as customers are chatting with one another, they may pause to ask the AI a query, like, “Hey Otter, what’s our income?” The AI chatbot will then reply your query.

The eventual objective is to have Otter extra proactively take part by chiming in when it thinks it has one thing useful to supply, by analyzing what’s being mentioned. Maybe if a colleague didn’t know a solution to a query, Otter might in the future reply after wanting again by means of the corporate’s conferences historical past and discovering the reply shared elsewhere.

Picture Credit: Otter

Otter’s information is saved within the cloud and secured, much like different cloud-based companies like Dropbox or Google’s Gmail, however nobody who isn’t licensed by the corporate can have entry to the assembly information. This enables folks to entry Otter, together with its AI options, by way of any machine, together with their laptop computer or smartphone. Otter additionally isn’t utilizing a buyer’s information to coach its AI, it says, though it permits particular person customers to contribute their recordings by way of an opt-in foundation.

Notably, the corporate doesn’t plan to cost for its new AI options. Whereas Microsoft prices $360 per 12 months for its Copilot in Workplace 365 and Groups, Otter’s GenAI will likely be included each within the free plan and the $20 per thirty days Marketing strategy.