Video communications company Zoom is using artificial intelligence to improve workplace inclusion as it continues to ride the wave of evolving workplace habits in a post-Covid era, according to its chief operating officer.
Zoom was “doing AI before it was cool”, Aparna Bawa said this week at the 2024 World Governments Summit in Dubai, while speaking about innovations in borderless work environments.
“Our virtual backgrounds, our noise suppression feature ... those already have AI built in,” she said, before pivoting to how AI could enhance language transcription features in Zoom’s suite of communication and meeting tools.
“We are making our AI much more inclusive by increasing the amount of languages that we’re focused on, and the capability of large language models right now beyond English, focusing on some of the various dialects and specific accents that can make it difficult to address a global population," Ms Bawa said.
The idea of workplace inclusion has taken on many forms, both during the pandemic, which fuelled a shift to working from home, and even after the pandemic, with a hybrid working model showing that it has staying power.
That hybrid working model has prompted countless conversations and debates about workplace biases benefiting those who continue to work from the office, leaving those who work remotely to sometimes be overlooked.
The idea of proximity bias in the workplace, as a result, has started to gain traction.
Addressing some of those trends and concerns, Ali Matar, LinkedIn's head of Europe, Middle East and Africa emerging markets, said: "There is a natural bias growing toward those that you see on a daily basis", referring to patterns observed by the work-based social network.
"If you are the type of manager who is more present in the office, probably you'll have a bias towards the people you are seeing," he added.
Zoom, which gained huge popularity during the pandemic when many companies began using its video conferencing software, has been placed in a unique position of trying to find solutions to increase teamwork as the traditional workplace models continue to shift.
Ms Bawa said that during the shift, the way people show up to work has changed for good, which in turn has informed Zoom as to what features to focus on across its various products.
"We're focused on the mission of making humans more effective and productive," Ms Bawa said, noting that AI implementations from Zoom would not replace human beings but, rather, would give time back to people and allow them to focus on other tasks.
In 2023, the company launched its AI Companion, a generative AI assistant that allows users to quickly summarise meetings they may have not been able to attend fully, organise chat threads, and assist with drafting messages, among other features.
"If you’re in a team chat situation and you wake up in the morning and your colleagues in a different time zone have already exchanged 100 messages, it can summarise the chat for you and move the conversation forward," Ms Bawa said.
Can Zoom maintain dominance?
Various estimates show Zoom with a commanding lead in the video conference space, with a 57 per cent market share, according to Statista.
That dominance, however, is far from certain as other companies continue trying to chip away at Zoom's lead.
Microsoft Teams has methodically gained traction, and Google Meet has been met with relative success to some extent.
When asked about the competitive video conference and worker collaboration landscape, Ms Bawa did not mention any of Zoom's potential challengers, but reflected on why she felt Zoom has endured beyond the pandemic.
"We focus on delighting the customer and providing customer happiness," she said, adding that Zoom continues to prioritise user feedback.
"We reserve a lot of development time ... more than other tech companies, I would say, in making our product better based on feedback, and our turnaround time is really quick."
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon
Fixtures
50-over match
UAE v Lancashire, starts at 10am
Champion County match
MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am
Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Playing records of the top 10 in 2017
How many games the top 10 have undertaken in the 2017 ATP season
1. Rafael Nadal 58 (49-9)
2. Andy Murray 35 (25-10)
3. Roger Federer 38 (35-3)
4. Stan Wawrinka 37 (26-11)
5. Novak Djokovic 40 (32-8)
6. Alexander Zverev 60 (46-14)
7. Marin Cilic 43 (29-14)
8. Dominic Thiem 60 (41-19)
9. Grigor Dimitrov 48 (34-14)
10. Kei Nishikori 43 (30-13)
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
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The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
