Cisco boosts Webex platform with AI
CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES — Cisco has announced an expanded AI strategy for its Webex collaboration platform during its annual WebexOne conference. The enhancements are aimed at improving communication, collaboration, and workflows for users.
A key part of the strategy is new Real-Time Media Models (RMMs) in Webex that analyze audio and video streams to interpret cues like gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice. This provides a richer context that can be used to generate meeting insights and summaries.
Cisco is also introducing an AI-powered Codec for Webex to optimize audio quality during low bandwidth network conditions. The codec uses generative AI techniques to allow redundancy to recover from packet loss. It also has built-in noise removal and other speech enhancement capabilities to clarity.
On the video side, Webex will apply machine learning for Super Resolution to provide high-definition video quality regardless of network impairments.
Additionally, a new Webex AI Assistant was announced that combines RMMs with large language models to help users be more productive. It can create meeting summaries, suggest responses for contact center agents, and make tone adjustments in Webex Messaging.
The assistant is already integrated into Cisco’s collaboration devices and will expand across the Webex portfolio including Webex Meetings, Calling, Contact Center and more. New capabilities will start shipping before end of 2023.
Cisco said its Responsible AI Framework was applied to ensure the strategy and assistant address risks around transparency, fairness, privacy and reliability.
The goal is to differentiate Webex as the most intelligent and context-aware collaboration platform by infusing AI throughout to enhance the user experience.
“We’re at the tipping point of a new era of hybrid work, with AI holding the key to helping us bridge the gap and enable us all to work and communicate to our full potential,” said Cisco Security and Collaboration Executive Vice President and General Manager Jeetu Patel.
“Our Webex platform has long enabled our rapid pace of innovation. Today’s announcement is a monumental step forward, as customers will benefit from AI being pervasive in every aspect of the Webex platform,” he added.
