Cisco, the leading technology company, has just announced a range of new AI-focused tools that aim to revolutionize the Webex experience. At the Webex One customer conference, Cisco introduced these cutting-edge tools, which are designed to enhance performance and provide automation for meeting-related tasks.
Key Takeaway
Cisco has unveiled a range of AI tools, including the Real-Time Media Model and an AI-powered audio codec, aimed at enhancing the Webex experience for users. These tools leverage advanced AI algorithms to provide superior audio and video quality, automate meeting-related tasks, and respect user privacy. The integration of the Webex AI Assistant ensures a seamless user experience, offering features such as message assistance, tone suggestions, and meeting summaries.
Introducing the Real-Time Media Model (RMM)
One of the groundbreaking tools introduced by Cisco is the Real-Time Media Model (RMM). Unlike traditional language models, the RMM is specifically designed for Webex use cases. The RMM utilizes generative AI for audio and video, adding texture and context to the transcriptions. This advanced model offers features such as noise removal, gesture recognition, speech and video enhancement, and much more.
AI-Powered Audio Codec for Superior Audio Quality
Alongside the RMM, Cisco also unveiled an AI-powered audio codec. This innovative audio codec utilizes AI to deliver crystal-clear audio quality while optimizing bandwidth efficiency. By employing AI, the new codec reduces the bandwidth usage by up to 16 times compared to previous codecs. Even in cases of packet loss, the AI aspect of the codec aids in recreating the dropped packets, ensuring high-quality audio transmission.
The Webex AI Assistant for Seamless Integration
Cisco’s Webex AI Assistant plays a crucial role in integrating all of these AI tools into a seamless experience for users. This assistant, driven by the Language and Media Models, assists users in various ways, such as composing messages, suggesting tone changes, and providing meeting and message summaries within Webex. It also collaborates with the RMM to offer additional functionality, including detecting when users are away and providing summaries, action items, or replays of missed meeting highlights.
Respecting User Privacy
Cisco understands the importance of privacy when it comes to AI tools. In line with its Responsible AI Principles on Privacy, the company ensures that customers and individual users have control over their personal data. Features like the ability to turn off the ‘away from computer’ function empower users to make privacy-conscious choices. Moreover, Cisco emphasizes that customer data is not used to train its AI models, further safeguarding user privacy.
The Webex Assistant will be available later this year, while the enhanced version with RMM capabilities is set to be released in early 2024. The AI audio codec is scheduled for shipment in the first half of 2024. With these new AI tools from Cisco, Webex users can look forward to a transformed and enhanced collaboration experience.
