Zoom, Google step up their AI game with new videoconferencing features

Google and Zoom this week announced new AI features in their videoconferencing apps  that the companies said are aimed at improving employee productivity.

The updates focus on automating tasks during and after a videoconference. 

Google Meet now has a feature that advises users on possible next steps to take after a videoconferencing call ends. And Zoom added a new set of AI tools called Workplace Automation that automates common tasks after a meeting.

Google’s “suggested next steps” tool draws its cues from an AI-generated transcript of a meeting and recommends next steps and follow-ups, which are organized within the meeting notes document. 

“This latest note-taking enhancement will help ensure important follow-ups aren’t missed and keeps everyone aligned on what happens next after your meeting,” Google said in a blog post.

As for Zoom, it announced the general availability of Workplace Automation in its software.  The feature was previously available in beta.

Zoom Workflow Automation automatically creates a workflow that triggers a set of actions, such as generating summaries of meetings, exporting the summary to a document, and sharing it with team members. The tool can also track activity and communication among a team with multiple participants and generate summaries, so everyone is up to date on the activities. 

That solves the problem of fragmented communication, the company said.

Workflow Automation is connected across Zoom Workplace tools including Zoom Chat, Zoom Team Chat, and Zoom Docs. Applications from third-party applications such as Microsoft and Google can also be a part of the automated workflow. And the workflows can be integrated into Atlassian’s Jira software. 

The tool is built on AI Companion 2.0, which was announced last year. The chatbot can answer user questions during and after a call by drawing information from meetings, documents and other sources of information. For example, users can stay up to date on conversations, a feature also available in Slack.

Workplace Automation is available in the latest version of Zoom.

AI is already becoming a central feature of meeting technology, and its utility will only grow over time, said JP Gownder, principal analyst at Gartner. “We don’t have armies of stenographers transcribing meeting notes verbatim, so transcription is incredibly valuable,” he said. 

Generating summaries and To Do lists are also helpful as they can make meetings more valuable. 

“Too many meetings occur, and participants simply forget everything that happened. With AI follow-ups, there is a greater chance that the meeting will lead to some outcome, something that benefits the business,” Gownder said.

Microsoft Teams is the most popular video option, so Google and Zoom need to be competitive with their offerings, he said.“Of course, Google and Zoom are also competitive insofar as they don’t charge extra for these AI features for enterprises that are subscribing to their core solutions,” Gownder said.