Otter, the AI-powered meeting assistant that transcribes audio in real-time is adding another layer of AI to its product with the introduction of Meeting GenAI, a new suite of AI tools for meetings. Included with GenAI is an AI chatbot that you can query to learn about previous meetings you've recorded with Otter, an AI chat feature that teams can use, and an AI conversation summary that provides an overview of the meeting. that took place so it is not necessary to read the entire transcript to catch up.
Although journalists and students can use AI to record things like interviews or lectures, Otter's new AI features are aimed more at those taking advantage of the meeting assistant in a corporate environment. The company envisions the new tools as a complement or replacement for the artificial intelligence functions offered by different services such as Microsoft Copilot, Zoom AI Companion and Google Duet, for example.
Otter CEO explains Sam Liang The idea to introduce the new AI tools was inspired by his busy schedule.
“In fact, I have 30 (sometimes more than 30) meetings every week. Sometimes I even double-book. I couldn't attend two or three meetings at the same time, but my Otter autopilot tuned into those meetings on my behalf,” he said, referring to the Otter feature that allows an AI bot to record a meeting so it can be reviewed later.
Now, users will be able to read an AI-generated summary of what was covered in that meeting, including a paragraph followed by a list of action items. Otter customers can now also interact with an AI chatbot where they can ask questions about what happened in the previous meeting or other issues.
Image credits: Otter
For example, you could ask the AI chatbot things like “What did the CMO say?” or "Did they change the release date?"
While Liang admits that Otter is not the first to offer an AI companion for meetings (Microsoft Copilot and Zoom's AI companion also have a similar feature), he believes Otter's version is more powerful and more complete.
“You can use AI chat to view your entire meeting history,” he explains. That means you can come back to ask questions about previous meetings, not just the one you're reviewing.
Another feature offers an AI chatbot that joins Otter channels where group chats take place. Here, the bot interacts like any other chat with another participant and can be invoked by anyone who asks Otter a question. For example, while users are chatting with each other, they could pause to ask the AI a question, such as: "Hey Otter, what's our income?" The AI chatbot will answer your question.
The ultimate goal is to get Otter to participate more proactively by intervening when they think they have something useful to offer, analyzing what is being discussed. Perhaps if a colleague didn't know the answer to a question, Otter might one day respond after reviewing the company's meeting history and finding the answer shared elsewhere.
Image credits: Otter
Otter data is stored in the cloud and is secure, similar to other cloud-based services like Dropbox or Google's Gmail, but no one not authorized by the company will have access to the meeting data. This allows people to access Otter, including its AI features, through any device, including their laptop or smartphone. Otter also does not use a customer's data to train its AI, it says, although it allows individual users to contribute their recordings voluntarily.
The company does not plan to charge for its new artificial intelligence features. While Microsoft charges $360 per year for its Copilot in Office 365 and Teams, Otter's GenAI will be included in both the free plan and the $20 per month Business plan.
