Zoom meetings can now be automatically transcribed by handy Otter assistant

Otter just made it even easier to catch up on Zoom meetings you can't (or don't want to) attend.

The AI-based audio transcription service has launched a new feature, Otter Assistant, which automatically joins and transcribes Zoom meetings for you, according to TechCrunch.

The new feature comes a year after Otter launched its "Live Video Meeting Notes" feature, which allowed paying subscribers to open a real-time transcription for people actually attending Zoom calls, and months after rolling out "Live Notes," which turns Zoom call audio into accurate captions.

Linked to your Google or Microsoft Outlook calendars, Otter Assistant can instantly join and transcribe meetings as they're happening, and shares a link to the transcription with attendees in the Zoom chat. You can turn the feature off in Otter's "My Agenda" section in the desktop site or iOS/Android app if you don't want the Assistant to jump into certain meetings for you.

Users will also be able to collaborate on the transcription, highlighting sections or adding images.

The automatic transcription feature might appeal to various professionals, whether you've got a heap of meetings on per day, or you're working from home and balancing other aspects of your life, particularly parents and carers. The feature also makes sense for workplaces with global teams, where time differences can make attending meetings tricky to schedule for everyone to attend.

Otter Assistant is only available to users with Otter.ai Business accounts, which is a $20 per month addition to the free version, meant for small teams and organisations. FYI you can still record and transcribe any audio live with the free account, just not directly through Zoom, and you've got limited minutes per month. (Also you'll actually have to attend the meeting. Sorry.)