Introduction: At the 2018 Mobile World Congress, where major tech giants showcased their latest innovations with towering booths, a small but ambitious startup was quietly making waves. Otter.ai, an AI-powered voice transcription app, was gaining attention for its real-time speech recognition capabilities. Developed by former Google engineers, the app is now available on both iOS and Android platforms.
While many big names dominated the event, one entrepreneur from a modest booth was sharing insights about the future of artificial intelligence. Otter.ai, the company’s new app, uses advanced machine learning to transcribe spoken words in real time. Unlike other voice assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, Otter focuses specifically on capturing and organizing meeting conversations.
During a quiet meeting in a backroom at Fira Barcelona Hall 2, Sam Liang, co-founder of Otter.ai, demonstrated the app. He opened his iPhone, tapped the record button, and began speaking. As he spoke, the app processed the audio and generated a transcript, albeit with a slight delay—about 2-3 seconds. The app also recognized when others were speaking, automatically labeling each speaker based on pre-set information.
Although the natural language processing isn’t flawless—there are occasional errors in punctuation, word recognition, and speaker identification—it still performs impressively, especially considering it’s free and works in real time.
“Our technology is completely different,†Liang explained during an interview with ZDNet. “We call it ‘Ambient Voice Intelligence.’ It works in the background, helping users capture what they might otherwise forget. Since the human brain only remembers about 10-20% of meeting details, we aim to help people retrieve that missing information quickly.â€
One of the most useful features is the search function. After recording a conversation, the app uses machine learning to generate around 10 keywords, allowing users to quickly find relevant parts of the discussion. Clicking on a keyword plays the corresponding audio segment, making it easy to revisit important points without re-listening to the entire recording.
Another standout feature is the ability to share recordings. If a colleague missed a meeting, you can send them the audio and transcript so they can catch up on what they missed. This makes the app ideal for remote teams and busy professionals who need to stay informed without attending every meeting.
The app integrates smoothly with Google services, thanks to Liang’s background as a former Google engineer. By connecting your Google account, you can easily import contacts and access more advanced features. For businesses using Google Workspace, this integration offers a seamless experience.
The team behind Otter.ai includes experienced professionals from companies like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Nuance, along with Ph.D. holders from top institutions such as MIT and Stanford. With over two decades of combined experience in mobile and data analytics, the team brings a strong foundation to the project.
Since early 2016, the team has been developing the core technology behind Otter. Over the past year, they’ve partnered with several companies, providing transcription services for recorded audio. These partnerships have helped refine their algorithms, ensuring better accuracy and performance.
In January 2018, Otter announced a partnership with Zoom, a fast-growing video conferencing platform. Now, Zoom users can record meetings powered by Otter’s AI technology, enhancing the value of their video calls.
With the launch of its free app, Otter is entering a new phase of growth. The company plans to release a premium version with expanded features, such as longer retention of meeting records and more advanced search options. The free version currently allows users to search through meetings from the past 90 days.
“Being able to remember, search, and share your voice conversations is the next frontier of collaboration,†Liang said. “Otter empowers users to use AI for everyday conversations, so they can focus on what they say instead of taking notes.â€
Otter.ai is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. While the iOS version is slightly more refined, the app continues to evolve and improve over time. Its growing user base and innovative approach make it a promising player in the AI voice transcription space.
Unlike IBM Watson, which relies on supercomputers for real-time text-to-speech services, Otter has achieved remarkable results using smartphones and cloud-based AI. Despite its low-key presence at the 2018 Mobile World Congress, Otter.ai represents one of the most significant breakthroughs in AI-driven communication tools of the year.
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