Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and it’s only going to keep evolving exponentially. In the audiovisual field, exciting new developments are rapidly transforming how we communicate and collaborate. Now is the time to start taking advantage of these powerful business tools.
The modern workplace has changed significantly over the past few years. While the brick-and-mortar office isn’t going anywhere, many organizations depend on video conferencing solutions to connect remote and hybrid team members. AI-driven AV technologies can take that concept several steps further.
For businesses that recognize the importance of keeping up with the latest and greatest technologies, the first step is to understand the benefits of AI in the workplace. From there, you can start implementing AI-powered solutions that fit your unique needs and goals.
Here’s a look at seven ways AI is revolutionizing how we work and interact.
Hiring professional camera operators for every meeting or presentation just isn’t practical or economical. Fortunately, there are modern conferencing cameras that come equipped with intelligent control over framing, zooming, panning, and other adjustments that used to require a human hand.
For example, the Logitech Sight is a companion camera for the popular Logitech Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini cameras. It has an AI-driven multi-participant framing mode that displays discrete video images of up to four participants, switching frames based on who’s speaking.
The Logitech Rally Bar and Rally Bar Mini also feature another example of AI workplace video control solutions—Logitech's RightSight 2 technology.
RightSight 2 uses a secondary AI-powered camera that scans the room and makes adjustments based on real-time changes. Say a new person walks into the room. The camera will automatically widen the shot to include them.
AI isn’t only transforming communication hardware. The major video conferencing platforms are also incorporating the tech into their interfaces. For example, Zoom recently launched AI Companion (and AI Companion 2.0—an optional add-on).
These virtual assistants can handle many tedious tasks that used to require an intern or team member.
For example, one of the benefits of AI in the workplace is that meeting leaders can tell AI Companion to take notes and then prepare a summary report. During the meeting, participants can ask it questions and have it pull up documents or generate templates.
AI Companion can also analyze meetings and then provide data-driven insights about metrics such as the overall mood, which sales tactics are effective, and how to improve engagement. It can even provide real-time transcripts and translations to make meetings more accessible.
Ambient background noise is a common pain point that can be eliminated with AI-powered noise suppression. For example, the Poly Studio X series video bars have a NoiseBlockAI feature that intelligently filters out distracting noises, ensuring everyone is heard loud and clear.
Similar AI workplace features are being integrated into video conferencing platforms, too. For example, Microsoft Teams has a noise isolation feature that uses voice profiles to identify participants and then remove other sounds.
These noise-filtering features are especially helpful for large meetings with remote teams. Even if all 100 participants are in quiet locations, that ambient background noise adds up. Also, being able to communicate in noisy environments allows for flexible scheduling.
Introducing every participant can take up valuable time. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams have implemented AI-powered user tags that show each user’s name.
Knowing who’s in the room naturally creates a friendlier, more inclusive meeting. Another benefit of AI in the workplace is that the user tags correspond to the recordings. The AI-generated meeting summary will show the context of who said what.
Resource management is a major trend in the business world. AI is poised to improve the efficiency in how rooms, equipment, team members, and time are utilized.
For example, Zoom’s AI Companion can recommend and book rooms based on prior meetings, as well as factors such as what the current calendar looks like and user availability and location.
Choosing a suitable room and then contacting individual participants is a time-consuming process. This type of AI workplace scheduling system eliminates the hassle during the planning phase while ensuring that there are no unexpected hiccups when it’s time for the meeting.
Whiteboards have long been a staple tool in boardrooms and meeting spaces. However, as remote collaboration becomes increasingly common, they’re not able to keep up with the changing times. Smart whiteboards offer that familiar feel, but with AI-driven tech.
All participants are able to interact with the smart whiteboard from any location with an internet connection. They can use smartphones, tablets, or computers to contribute to the project. The benefits of AI in the workplace aren’t just for offices—they apply to work-from-home staff, too.
Some smart whiteboards can also facilitate video conferencing, providing teams with an all-in-one device that facilitates both communication and collaboration simultaneously and seamlessly.
Furthermore, some smart whiteboards—the Logitech Scribe, for example—can be integrated with existing video conferencing systems. For instance, the Scribe has a custom lens that broadcasts whiteboard content into video meetings with exceptional clarity so all users can follow along with ease.
In important video conferencing calls, maintaining a professional appearance is critical—that includes the room itself. That’s why AI workplace video conferencing platforms are incorporating AI-generated backgrounds that can be switched based on the context of the meeting.
Additionally, AI-powered avatars are rising in popularity. Zoom, for example, lets users create avatars that accurately mimic their appearance and voice. If the user is unable to attend a meeting, they can write a message for their avatar to communicate.
It has become abundantly clear that AI is far from a buzzword. The technology has infinite potential to revolutionize how business is done—both now and in the future.
If you’re ready to explore the benefits of AI in the workplace further, let’s talk. Profound Technologies is a team of highly skilled audio-visual specialists with over 20 years of experience. We can help you choose and implement a commercial AV solution that checks all the boxes.
Artificial intelligence may seem intimidating, but it can be implemented seamlessly into your existing system and used as part of your daily workflows with no in-depth tech knowledge required. Contact us for a free consultation.