Zoom AI Update: New Notetaker, Avatars & Features

Zoom Unveils New AI-Powered Features at Zoomtopia

During its Zoomtopia conference on Wednesday, Zoom announced a series of new products. These include enhancements to its AI companion, extending its functionality across various meeting applications. The company also introduced features like personalized note-taking, AI-driven meeting scheduling, and realistic AI avatars mirroring user appearances.

Expanding AI Capabilities Beyond Zoom

Zoom has previously offered an AI bot capable of recording and transcribing meetings. However, competitors such as Read AI, Otter, Fireflies, Granola, and Circleback have significantly advanced in cross-application meeting note-taking. To address this, Zoom’s AI companion will now integrate with platforms like Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

Furthermore, the AI will support note-taking during physical, in-person meetings, broadening its utility.

Enhanced Note-Taking and Information Retrieval

Inspired by Granola, Zoom is enabling users to manually add notes during meetings. The AI companion will then expand and organize these notes automatically.

A new cross-platform search function will allow users to access information from both Google and Microsoft ecosystems.

Streamlined Scheduling and Time Management

New features focused on calendar management are also being implemented. The AI Companion will identify mutually available time slots for all participants.

Users can also utilize a “free up my time” function, which suggests meetings that can be rescheduled or skipped – a feature similar to that launched by Clockwise last year.

Proactive Meeting Support

Zoom is introducing proactive meeting recommendations, including suggested tasks and agenda items to aid in preparation.

A group AI assistant is also being rolled out to support collaborative meetings.

Introducing Photorealistic AI Avatars

Zoom will be launching photorealistic avatars on its platforms. CEO Eric Yuan showcased an avatar during a recent quarterly earnings call.

These avatars will mimic the user’s movements during video calls, providing an alternative when a user is unable or unwilling to appear on camera. However, the potential for misuse and the associated deepfake risks are being acknowledged.

Consumer access to this feature is anticipated by the end of the year.

New Features for Meeting Engagement

Hosts will gain the ability to utilize Zoom Clips, the company’s asynchronous video tool, and AI avatars to welcome attendees in waiting rooms and clarify meeting objectives.

Live translation capabilities are also being enhanced with AI assistance.

Additional Updates and Tools

Zoom is redesigning its web interface to prominently feature the AI companion.

Other AI-powered additions include a writing assistant for composing emails and documents, and a comprehensive research tool.

The company will also support the creation of custom AI agents using the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Further improvements include support for higher bit rates and 60 fps for Zoom meetings, alongside a new video management tool for organizing video assets.