How Otter.ai’s CEO is pushing the company to be more than just a meeting scribe

Otter.ai CEO Sam Liang isn’t happy with the corporate being seen, and used, as only a assembly notetaker. Liang needs Otter.ai to develop 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 on Tuesday launched a brand new suite of instruments for enterprises designed to raised incorporate knowledge from conferences into different workflows by funneling that info to a central data base. The intention is to develop Otter’s enterprise by serving to corporations get extra out of the conferences they document.

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 knowledge to exterior AI fashions — and a brand new AI agent that may search an organization’s conferences notes or displays.  

Liang instructed Trendster it’s the subsequent part of Otter’s life.  

“We’re evolving from a gathering notetaker to a company assembly data base,” Liang stated. “This can be a system document for conversations. It might assist firms scale their progress and drive measurable enterprise worth.” 

When Otter was based in 2016, there have been only a handful of assembly transcription corporations — a far leap from as we speak. 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 curiosity.  

Liang argues this transition places Otter right into a separate division than its former friends.  

Conferences are the place the vast majority 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 technique. However with out a centralized place for these assembly notes, that info can solely assist an organization a lot.  

“A number of instances, inefficiency occurs due to info silos,” Liang stated. “One crew doesn’t know what the opposite crew is doing, and it thinks that that was deliberate like a month in the past. Oftentimes the plan adjustments, however not everyone is knowledgeable. So, the concept is to create a permission system in order that a lot of the [nonconfidential] info is shared as broadly as potential.” 

Not each assembly with Otter shall be immediately added to this companywide data base, and customers can select to limit assembly observe entry for recordings that take care of delicate info.  

Worker and data privateness stays a priority regardless of entry controls. Even when a gathering is round a impartial matter, Otter transcriptions decide the small speak and chatter that occurs earlier than and after conferences, which might include gossip or info meant for less than sure individuals 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 person consent and utilizing that info to coach its transcription companies. 

Liang stated 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 info is best 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 stated. “My view is that we’re on the fitting aspect of historical past. We’re constructing this new AI revolution. If you’d like AI to assist, it’s worthwhile to put AI within the conferences.”