Otter, the AI-powered assembly assistant that transcribes audio in real-time is including one other layer of AI to its product with right now’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 outline of the assembly that befell, so that you don’t need to learn the total transcript to catch up.
Though journalists and college students could 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 surroundings. 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 — generally greater than 30 — conferences each week. Generally 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 mentioned, referring to the Otter function that lets an AI bot report a gathering so that you can overview later.
Now, customers will have the ability to learn an AI-generated abstract of what was coated in that assembly, together with a paragraph adopted by an inventory of motion gadgets. Otter’s clients also can now work together with an AI chatbot the place they will ask questions on what befell prior to now assembly or others.
![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AI-Conversation-Summary-View.png?w=680)
Picture Credit: Otter
For instance, you would ask the AI chatbot issues like “What did the CMO say?” or “Did they modify the launch date?”
Whereas Liang admits Otter will not be 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 should use AI chat to question your complete assembly historical past,” he explains. Meaning 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 could 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 purpose 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 may in the future reply after wanting again via the corporate’s conferences historical past and discovering the reply shared elsewhere.
![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/AI-Chat-in-Channels.png?w=680)
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 individuals 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 costs $360 per yr for its Copilot in Workplace 365 and Groups, Otter’s GenAI shall be included each within the free plan and the $20 per 30 days Marketing strategy.