Zoom takes on Google with new AI-based Docs

Zoom announced on Monday that users of the video conferencing app can now co-create documents in real-time during meetings and share the files with colleagues. Dubbed “Zoom Docs”, the feature uses AI to help users to write, edit, and translate documents within the app.

The feature is Zoom’s equivalent of Google Docs and competes directly with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 – both business-focused tools that aim to improve workflow among teams. Zoom Docs is powered by AI Companion, Zoom’s generative AI built with technology from Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, and the company’s proprietary LLMs.

AI streamlines tasks from the workflow

According to Smita Hashim, chief product officer at Zoom, the docs tool can organize transcripts from a meeting into templates, as well as create things like tables and trackers to organize processes and tasks. Users can share and edit these documents with their colleagues during Zoom meetings. The AI can also translate documents into nine languages.

Hashim said the concept tries to ensure that some time-consuming tasks are eliminated from the workflow. “Zoom Docs…transforms information from Zoom Meetings into actionable documents and knowledge bases, so teams can stay focused on meaningful work,” she said in a statement.

“With AI Companion, Zoom Docs is purpose-built to empower people to ‘work happy’ and give them more time back in their day,” Hashim added.

The AI-powered version of the service is available to Zoom Workplace subscribers at no extra cost. However, to use the Workspace customers pay between $14 and $19 per person per month. Free users can create up to 10 documents that they can share with their teams each month.

Zoom looks to AI to boost growth

That compares with Microsoft Co-pilot for 365 which costs $30 per user per month and Google’s Gemini which averages $20 per user per month for business use. With Gemini, people can share ideas in Google Docs, generate images, and summarize and edit text. Meanwhile, Copilot can be used to analyze information, and rewrite documents as well as presentations in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

According to Zoom, more than 7.2 million meeting summaries have been generated using AI Companion since September 2023, when the tool was launched. Zoom wants to use this interest to grow the docs numbers inside Zoom Workplace. Rivals Google Workspace boasts 3 billion users every month and Microsoft Teams has 320 million monthly active users.

Zoom has gone through a difficult phase since enjoying a massive hype during the pandemic. The company’s share price has plunged over 90% since its high in 2020, and 15% of the staff was sacked at the beginning of 2023. Zoom’s integration of AI tools is seen as a deliberate strategy to boost growth.