The inherent clatter of someone typing meeting notes during a Zoom call can often be disruptive. While the task of documenting action items and reminders is necessary, the responsibility need not fall solely on a human participant. Zoom’s recently introduced AI Companion feature, included in all paid subscriptions since last fall, serves as a virtual administrative assistant capable of summarizing meetings, creating action items, and identifying the most active speakers.
The AI Companion leverages large language models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta, and has also trained itself by analyzing thousands of internal meetings at Zoom, according to Smita Hashim, Chief Product Officer at Zoom. Hashim emphasizes that no real conversations from customers are used in the training process to ensure confidentiality.
Despite its robust capabilities, the practical applications of the AI Companion and its time-saving benefits are not immediately obvious. Several meetings were conducted to test the efficacy of Zoom’s AI helper, and the findings provide a guide on how to optimize its use, alongside an assessment of its current limitations.
To summarize a meeting, the AI Companion can be accessed by clicking an icon beneath the main video window, resembling a magic wand with sparkles. The feature offers built-in prompts such as “Summarize the meeting,” which generates detailed bullet points based on the ongoing discussion. Additionally, the AI Companion can create a whiteboard of ideas in real-time, mirroring the role of a human administrative assistant.
The feature performs optimally when meetings are conducted clearly and within a well-defined agenda. Structured plans focusing on key topics tend to yield more accurate summaries. For instance, during a meeting concerning a new website design, the AI accurately highlighted tasks such as design work, prototype construction, and testing. However, the AI struggled with more disorganized discussions. In a family meeting planning an overseas trip, the resultant summary failed to capture the conversation effectively due to its random nature. The AI Companion is thus most effective with meetings that adhere to a clear structure.
Alternatively, users can prompt the AI Companion to “Catch me up” or inquire, “Does anyone have any action items?” Rather than summarizing the entire meeting, the bot will provide high-level topics and key takeaways. For instance, in the family vacation meeting, the bot noted that a participant named Rachel had discussed flights. This functionality proves useful for individuals who may lose track during meetings.
In conclusion, Zoom’s AI Companion excels in structured meeting scenarios, providing clear and actionable summaries when used correctly. However, its effectiveness diminishes in unstructured or highly spontaneous discussions, indicating areas for further improvement.
