Otter.ai CEO Sam Liang isn’t glad with the corporate being seen, and used, as only a assembly notetaker. Liang needs Otter.ai to change into a go-to supply for enterprises and a brand new batch of merchandise launched Tuesday is step one in that evolution.
The Silicon Valley-based AI assembly assistant startup launched Tuesday a brand new suite of instruments for enterprises designed to raised incorporate information from conferences into different workflows by funneling that data to a central data base. The goal is to develop Otter’s enterprise by serving to firms get extra out of the conferences they file.
Otter’s new product suite contains an API that permits customers to construct customized integrations with platforms like Jira and HubSpot, an MCP server — which connects customers’ Otter information to exterior AI fashions — and a brand new AI agent that may search an organization’s conferences notes or shows.
Liang advised TechCrunch it’s the subsequent section of Otter’s life.
“We’re evolving from a gathering notetaker to a company assembly data base,” Liang mentioned. “It is a system file for conversations. It might probably assist companies scale their development and drive measurable enterprise worth.”
When Otter was based in 2016, there have been only a handful of assembly transcription firms — a far leap from in the present day. The AI increase that kicked off in 2022 fueled a surge in startups like Granola or Circleback. Even older gamers like Fireflies have seen a surge in interest.
Liang argues this transition places Otter right into a separate division than its former friends.
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Conferences are the place the bulk of firm data is saved, in Liang’s opinion, whether or not that’s notes from a buyer gross sales name or discussions round a advertising and marketing technique. However with no centralized place for these assembly notes, that data can solely assist an organization a lot.
“Lots of occasions, inefficiency occurs due to data silos,” Liang mentioned. “One workforce doesn’t know what the opposite workforce is doing, and it thinks that that was deliberate like a month in the past. Oftentimes the plan modifications, however not all people is knowledgeable. So, the concept is to create a permission system in order that you recognize a lot of the [nonconfidential] data is shared as broadly as doable.”
Not each assembly with Otter will likely be instantly added to this company-wide data base and customers can select to limit assembly be aware entry for recordings that take care of delicate data.
Worker and knowledge privateness stays a priority regardless of entry controls. Even when a gathering is round a impartial subject, Otter transcriptions decide the small speak and chatter that occurs earlier than and after conferences, which might include gossip or data meant for under sure members to listen to.
Otter can also be the topic of an August class-action lawsuit that claims the corporate was recording non-public conversations with out consumer consent and utilizing that data to coach its transcription providers.
Liang mentioned that whereas he can’t touch upon the lawsuit particularly, this isn’t a difficulty particular to Otter, and that when trying on the larger image, extra entry to data is higher than not.
“In the event that they accuse us, then they may accuse everybody else, all of the instruments you heard about doing assembly notes,” Liang mentioned. “My view is that we’re on the proper aspect of historical past. We’re constructing this new AI revolution. In order for you AI to assist, you’ll want to put AI within the conferences.”