If you’ve ever fumed about a meeting that could have absolutely been an email, you can finally feel validated, thanks to Zoom’s newest AI feature. The ubiquitous video conferencing company just launched its AI Companion 2.0, which can synthesize meeting information into digestible words.
Zoom Is Leveling Up With AI Companion 2.0
Positioned as a virtual assistant, Zoom AI Companion 2.0 launched today, promising more efficiency throughout the platform. According toZoom’s news site, the AI assistant will be located on a side panel and have the ability to distill details from all of Zoom Workplace, which includes Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Docs, and Zoom Mail.
That’s right, Zoom is not just for video calls anymore. Earlier this year, as announced onZoom’s news site, the company launched its “AI-powered collaboration platform” for businesses and teams to integrate many productivity tools into one.
Zoom AI Companion 2.0 can also take connected applications into account, if applicable. For example, if you have integrated calendars or mailboxes from Microsoft Outlook or Google, the AI assistant can also synthesize information from these sources.
How Does 2.0 Compare to 1.0?
While Zoom included an AI Companion with its introduction of Zoom Workplace earlier this year, AI Companion 2.0 appears to be far more advanced. Previously, the platform’s AI Companion could perform tasks such as summarizing a Team Chat and generating sentence completion. It could also assist with scheduling, like prompting you to set up meetings based off of your chats.
The new-and-improved AI is even more observant. Some of the most notable features include:
More Connection or More Isolation?
The company is clearly advertising the feature as something that will not detract from human interaction but actually encourage more meaningful connections. The theme of Zoom’s announcement is this:
“AI Companion 2.0 is enhanced with additional capabilities to help expand context, synthesize information, and take action to give users time back in their day, so they can focus on meaningful work and building connections with team members.”
It seems counterintuitive on the surface. How can a feature that dissuades meeting engagement foster more connectivity? It seems like AI Companion 2.0 makes it easier to duck out on meetings and avoid those points of connection at the workplace.
However, I do understand what the company means. UsingAI-powered digital assistants to cut out menial tasksgives us more time and brain capacity to think, listen, and communicate more thoughtfully. The question is: will we actually use that time accordingly, or will we simply increase our workload? I’m inclined to believe the latter, but I sincerely hope AI tools like Zoom’s newest feature will prove me wrong, and actually create space for human connection and creativity.
