Zoom has announced a momentous spring update of new agents AI superpowers for Zoom Workplace users, including that its Custom AI Companion solution is now generally available.
Among other major spring AI-coloured updates, Zoom announced intelligent meeting scheduling, that Voice Recorder enables transcription, summaries, and action items for in-person meetings, and the general availability of its vertical-specific offerings Zoom Workplace for Frontline and Zoom Workplace for Clinicians.
Jeff Smith, Head of Product for Workplace AI, Meetings, and Spaces at Zoom, commented:
Last month, we announced that AI Companion now includes a set of agentic skills so it can understand, plan, and get things done with minimal input from the user. We’re further delivering on that promise by launching Custom AI Companion, agentic AI, and many other features. We continue to push the boundaries of innovation to bring our customers the very best AI-first solutions that drive productivity and collaboration."
Starting today, Zoom outlines that organisations can enhance their efficiency with the Custom AI Companion paid add-on. Powered by Zoom AI Studio and a low-code drag-and-drop builder, this feature aims to allow admins to tailor AI agents and skills to meet their specific needs.
This summer, Custom AI Companion will integrate third-party AI agents, supporting both the Model Context Protocol from Anthropic and the Agent to Agent Protocol from Google, aspiring to make it easier to connect external AI agents with Zoom.
Additionally, Bring Your Own Index (BYOI) enables organisations to link AI Companion with various enterprise data sources, such as project management tools and customer databases, through Amazon Q Business or Glean. This allows users to access relevant documents and data directly in AI Companion during meetings for quick context.
Custom Avatars for Zoom Clips allow users to create personalised avatars and generate clips using AI Companion, intending to save time by eliminating the need to re-record content. These avatars are designed with security and authenticity features, including gesture checks and video/audio watermarks to prevent misuse.
Custom Avatars are available now with the Custom AI Companion add-on and will also be available as a separate SKU in May. The Custom AI Companion add-on is priced at $12 per user per month, with Zoom saying that additional features coming this summer.
More Compelling New AI-Powered Features
Perhaps AI-powered meeting scheduling is one of the most eye-catching new features. Users can now schedule meetings with multiple participants directly from the side panel in any product tab. By leveraging data across the platform, AI Companion intends to identify the best available times for all invitees and suggests scheduling options for the user to confirm.
Once the time is set, AI Companion automatically creates the Zoom meeting, adds it to participants' calendars, and the company stresses that it can even generate recommended topics and agendas for the meeting. Zoom says this seamless integration simplifies the scheduling process and enhances meeting preparation.
Among other Workplace features is the new AI Companion Voice Transcriber, a decidedly old-school-flavoured solution with a welcomely modern, AI-centric twist. This can transcribe in-person interactions and summarise key points, as well as capture action items. This aims to ensure users can still benefit from AI support even when not on a Zoom meeting or call.
