About
Otter.ai was founded in 2016 and has become one of the most widely adopted AI transcription services, with strong uptake in higher education where it is used by disability services as a supplement or alternative to CART captioning. The web, iOS, and Android apps all support real-time transcription.
What It Does
Otter uses AI speech recognition to produce live, time-stamped transcripts with automatic speaker identification. The OtterPilot feature joins scheduled video meetings automatically and captions them without manual intervention. Transcripts are searchable and exportable, and the mobile app supports live in-person captioning by pointing the phone's microphone at a speaker.
Who It Helps
Otter.ai benefits deaf and hard-of-hearing students and working professionals who need accessible meeting records or real-time captions. It is also valuable for individuals with auditory processing disorders, ADHD, or anyone who relies on text-based access to spoken content.