Zoom launches version 2.0 of AI Companion

In a bid to help companies and hybrid workers transform work and get more done, and as part of the company’s evolution to an artificial intelligence (AI)-first work platform for human connection, Zoom has unveiled AI Companion 2.0.

The updates were announced at the recent Zoomtopia event, where the company said it was “significantly” expanding its AI capabilities with a range of features designed to boost productivity, streamline communications and enhance user experience. The upgrade is designed to expand Zoom’s AI functionalities across its platform, from team chat and email to Zoom Docs and meetings, enabling users to synthesise information from multiple sources, including Microsoft Outlook or Google Mail and Calendar accounts.

The updates are centred around AI Companion 2.0, the company’s AI assistant, which is regarded as a key plank in making the company’s objective to make AI accessible to all users.

Available at no additional cost with the paid services in Zoom accounts, version 2.0 is designed to surface important information and “prioritise what matters most” to turn interactions across Zoom Workplace into actions to help users get more done throughout the workday.

The solution takes in information from across Zoom Workplace – including Zoom Meetings, Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Docs and Zoom Mail – and, if connected, from Microsoft Outlook mail and calendar, Google Calendar, Gmail, and uploaded documents, spreadsheets and presentations.

In a further expansion of the company’s strategy to give users time back in their day, and running via a side panel within Zoom Workplace, AI Companion 2.0 now has additional capabilities to help expand context and synthesise information, so users can focus on meaningful work and building connections with team members. It can also use information from the web via Perplexity to provide clear summaries and answers to specific questions.

Other key capabilities allow the system to understand what users are seeing in the Workplace app, remember prior interactions and provide suggestions relevant to their work. In addition to identifying and completing next steps and action items, with the launch of Zoom Tasks in late 2024, AI Companion 2.0 will be able to help users get even more done by surfacing, tracking and completing actions across Zoom Workplace.

“We’re thrilled with AI Companion’s ability to help boost productivity throughout the workday. With our new capabilities, AI Companion has the power to help people make the most of their meetings, kickstart documents, get important information at a glance and transform their workday,” said Jeff Smith, head of product for Workplace AI, Meetings and Spaces at Zoom.

“And the substantial added value that we’re delivering today is just the beginning. Zoom is hyper-focused on customer experience, and in the coming weeks, we’ll support broader queries across Zoom Workplace, improve response times and enable AI Companion to take more actions for the user.”