During Google’s Cloud Next conference, a range of novel AI-powered functionalities for Google Meet were unveiled.
These innovations aim to heighten the efficiency and convenience of meetings. Among these enhancements is a real-time recap tool, designed to aid participants who join the meeting belatedly in swiftly catching up on the proceedings. Furthermore, within the course of the call, participants have the option to engage in private conversations with a Google chatbot to retrieve any pertinent information they may have missed. After the meeting, a comprehensive summary can be archived in Google Docs, potentially encompassing significant video segments. It is important to acknowledge, however, that the reliability of these synthesized recaps remains uncertain, given the inherent fallibility of AI.
Microsoft and Zoom have also thrown their hats into the ring by introducing their own AI-fueled meeting summarization features, signifying the growing traction of this concept. To establish user confidence, Google needs to demonstrate the capacity of their AI tools to capture the essence of the meetings meticulously. The note-taking functionality is slated to become accessible in Google’s Workspace Labs over the impending months, affording users the opportunity to evaluate its efficacy.
Another notable introduction in Google Meet’s repertoire is the feature named Duet, which endows AI with the capability to partake in meetings on behalf of the user. By simply clicking on an “attend for me” prompt within a meeting invitation, Google can generate contextual content regarding subjects the user might wish to address. These notes will be visible to all participants, thereby fostering discourse. Although this innovation could prove invaluable for individuals juggling multiple commitments or unable to attend due to personal reasons, concerns have been raised about potential misuse, where it could be leveraged as a pretext to evade meetings.
Google Meet is taking steps to mitigate this by instituting a mechanism where the call concludes if all attendees delegate participation to their AI assistants.
