Ottawa firm develops human-like AI platform

An Ottawa firm has developed the first human-like conversational intelligence platform using Artificial Intelligence. The technology is called bluecap and the company that launched it Uncanny Lab Ltd. UC Lab, inspired by opportunities arising from slowdowns associated with Covid-19, was established in 2020 by co-founders Fuad Miah and Justin Hacker.

They describe bluecap as AI intelligence that enhances the meeting experience for both hosts and attendees. But it does more. It lets participants focus on the meeting instead of tasks like note-taking by creating a full transcript and recording of what transpired, and then crafting a concise executive summary. It also uses the collected telemetry (conversation data pertaining to context, emotion, etc.) to create an advanced analysis of performance and even sentiment.

“We already have more than 200 users with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meets,” Hacker said. “This is a new concept for virtual meetings, in-person meetings, and hybrid meetings which utilize both. How does it work? bluecap uses facial and voice recognition technology, along with natural language processing, so you can quantify and measure elements of corporate culture. That means everything from people’s emotions and sentiments to trust and care.”

Take digital transformation and AI to the next level.

Miah has Bachelor degrees in Electrical Engineering and Law from Carleton University in Ottawa, and studied Data Science and AI at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in the US. He has worked in business intelligence for such companies as IBM, Accenture and HP Canada. He met Justin Hacker, who studied Computer Systems Technology at Algonquin College in Ottawa, when both were with a marketing agency. When Covid burst onto the scene the two figured they could take digital transformation and AI to the next level.

What is new about bluecap is that with the collected telemetry it creates and automates comprehensive profiles of every person/contact and organization involved in a meeting. Every interaction is measured, analyzed and visualized which then lets you take action.

Leads to better business decisions

“The product has evolved from our initial vision of a meeting assistant into a platform for speech and conversational intelligence,” says Miah. “It allows users to determine the actual health of a relationship between members of a team or between sales reps and their customers. With further analysis you can dig deep into the cause of potential rifts or even upswings. That means you can discover risks you might have otherwise missed, not to mention opportunities. It leads to better business decisions.”

Hacker and Miah say bluecap can have a positive impact on time management, customer relations, forecasting, etc. What’s more, they are developing products for specific industries and professions. One example is healthcare. Doctors, nurse practitioners and others can derive great benefit from the technology with enhanced productivity, and more accurate diagnosis and treatment for patients. Likewise, Human Resources professionals can use it for team building, recruitment, retention, and overall workplace culture.