How Otter.ai Revolutionized My Work with AI-Powered Transcriptions

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Otter.ai, a powerful AI-driven transcription service, has become an invaluable tool in my work life, especially when it comes to capturing important meetings and conference keynotes. Available on both mobile and desktop platforms, it provides seamless real-time transcription, allowing me to focus on the content rather than worrying about taking notes.

I first turned to Otter.ai at a conference where the keynote sessions are packed with essential information. The app was recommended by a colleague, and after downloading the free version, I used it to transcribe the keynote. This decision turned out to be a game-changer. The ability to watch the transcription unfold on-screen live during the presentation was nothing short of amazing, and when I revisited the transcription afterward, I was impressed by its accuracy, despite being recorded in a large auditorium.

While the transcription was mostly accurate, I found a few minor mistakes. However, the app’s editing function made correcting these errors quick and efficient—an invaluable feature that saved me a lot of time compared to manually transcribing.

Otter.ai’s utility extends beyond conferences; it's an excellent tool for transcribing meetings too. In addition to transcribing conversations, it provides an executive summary of the meeting, which is particularly helpful for quickly reviewing key points. Additionally, if a meeting includes slides, Otter.ai can capture screenshots of them, giving me an easy way to reference the slides alongside the transcription.

One feature that caught my attention was the ability to have Otter.ai automatically join meetings on my calendar. While initially intriguing, I quickly realized that enabling this feature required others to allow the bot into their meetings, and I wasn’t always comfortable with this. Moreover, after a few experiences, I turned off the auto-join feature because I didn’t want Otter.ai in every meeting.

There are, however, some limitations. On one occasion, Otter.ai failed to transcribe a meeting I had set up because it only recorded silence. Fortunately, the meeting was also recorded by someone else, but this experience taught me to double-check the functionality before relying solely on Otter.ai. In situations where Otter.ai might fail, I used iOS 18’s new Notes feature for recording and transcribing meetings, though it lacked some of the advanced features like slide capture and summaries.

Overall, Otter.ai has proven incredibly helpful, especially when used in its free version, which provides 300 minutes of transcription per month. For those needing more, the Pro subscription offers 1,200 minutes and costs $16.99 per month, while the Business plan expands capabilities for larger teams, supporting up to 6,000 minutes monthly.

Given its ease of use, accuracy, and time-saving features, Otter.ai is definitely worth considering for anyone looking to simplify their work with AI-powered transcription. Despite its occasional hiccups, I’ve found it indispensable and am confident it will continue to make my professional life easier