Zoom’s AI Head Talks Automation, Competition, and Why You’ll Keep Your Job
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Zoom has just unveiled its AI Companion 2.0 along with Zoom Tasks, both designed to handle everyday work tasks and even create video avatars. Techopedia caught up with Zoom’s AI product head, Bo Yan, to talk about these new features and to address the big question on everyone’s mind—will AI take your job? Spoiler: he doesn’t think so.
A Background in AI That Matters
Bo Yan’s experience with AI runs deep. Before joining Zoom, he spent 16 years at Microsoft, where he helped launch the Cortana assistant in China and pushed the platform onto Android, iOS, and smart speakers. His track record in navigating the competitive world of AI means he understands the challenges involved in making these tools actually helpful for users.
With AI Companion 2.0 and Zoom Tasks now under his leadership, Yan is confident about their potential. When asked about how they’ll stack up against big-name rivals like Apple Intelligence, Google Gemini, and Microsoft Copilot, Yan didn’t flinch. Zoom is designed for the workplace, he explained, and its tools are optimized to be the “single source of truth,” pulling data from platforms like Asana, Jira, and ServiceNow. It’s not just about automating tasks like scheduling meetings or drafting emails—it’s about keeping track of everything.
In a world where you need to juggle multiple ways of communicating, the AI Companion is built to handle it all, Yan says.
Will AI Replace People? Not So Fast.
One of the biggest concerns people have with AI is the fear of losing their jobs. But Yan doesn’t see it that way. Instead, he views AI as a tool to make work easier, not to take over entirely. AI avatars, for instance, aren’t here to replace human interaction. They’re meant to help in specific situations, like when a CEO needs to communicate in a different language or when live videos just aren’t an option.
Yan emphasized that Zoom has built-in safeguards to prevent misuse, including deepfakes. These layers of protection are designed to ensure that AI remains helpful, not harmful. Plus, he doesn’t believe people will abuse AI avatars to skip work. The technology is there to support, not replace.
The AI Won’t Take Over—It Will Help
Yan compares the arrival of AI to the introduction of optical character recognition (OCR) in the early 2000s. People thought that OCR would end the need for printers because everything could be digitized. But here we are, with printers still thriving. The same is true for AI—rather than taking over, it will eliminate the frustrating parts of work, making things easier for everyone involved.
In a classroom setting, for example, AI could generate pop quizzes based on a presentation or help create smarter, more organized notes. It’s all about reducing the pain points so workers (and students) can focus on what really matters.
Why the Wait?
If you’re wondering why it’s going to take months to fully roll out AI Companion 2.0 and Zoom Tasks, with some features not expected until 2025, Yan has an answer. Developing AI tools isn’t just about launching them quickly. It’s about making sure they work well and don’t cause unintended problems. Zoom is taking the time to build “guardrails” that prevent issues like AI hallucinations or the misuse of data.
Zoom is also speeding up its product development process by listening closely to user feedback. The company is evolving its software based on what people actually need, rather than just pushing out new features for the sake of it.
AI Education Is Key
Interestingly, one of the biggest challenges isn’t just building great AI tools—it’s making sure people know how to use them. Yan believes that many users aren’t fully aware of what AI can do. He compared it to sitting next to a Stanford graduate who could help you with anything, but not realizing how much they can actually offer. Zoom’s goal is to educate its users on how to make the most of AI, helping them unlock its full potential in their daily work.
In a rapidly evolving tech world, Bo Yan’s insights make one thing clear—AI is here to help, not to take over. While it’s true that the technology is still developing, Zoom is committed to making AI a supportive tool in the workplace, one that makes our jobs easier without taking them away.
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