Overview
Virtual meeting AI features—like live captions, meeting summaries, and AI companion Q&A—can boost productivity and accessibility. However, not all third-party tools meet Minnesota State’s strict security, privacy, and FERPA requirements. This guide explains which tools are approved, which are blocked or non-approved, how to remove unauthorized apps, and where to find secure alternatives.
Security and Compliance
Minnesota State and the State of Minnesota enforce policies requiring all software to undergo a formal approval process to ensure legal, data security, and privacy compliance. External AI tools that haven’t been vetted can expose sensitive data, violate participant consent, and undermine FERPA protections for student information.
Approved AI Tools for Meetings
At this time, Zoom AI Companion and Microsoft Copilot are the only official university-approved AI meeting tools you should use at work. They meet all the necessary legal and data security and privacy requirements.
Using AI in Zoom meetings
All of these features are included in your university Zoom account at no extra cost. You may need to enable them in your Settings. Be sure to sign in with your University StarID credentials to use these tools securely.
Using AI in Teams meetings
Live transcription is included in your university Teams account at no extra cost. To unlock other AI tools in Teams meetings with Copilot (like meeting summaries) you can purchase an additional license. Be sure to sign in with your University StarID credentials to use these tools securely.
Blocked and Non-Approved AI Meeting Tools
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System-Wide Block (Effective July 3, 2025): The System CIO Advisory Group—which includes CIOs from every Minnesota State college and university—blocked the most commonly used unauthorized tools: Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, and Read.ai. These apps and any related integrations will cease functioning on managed devices and networks.
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Other Non-Approved Tools: Any third‑party AI meeting tool not explicitly on the approved list poses the same risks and must be removed as soon as possible, even if not formally blocked.
FAQ
Do Zoom AI Companion and Copilot AI meeting tools use my data to train models?
As long as you are signed in to your university Zoom and Microsoft Copilot accounts with your StarID credentials, your data remains protected in the secure environment and is not used to train AI models. Zoom and Copilot tools meet all the necessary legal and data security and privacy requirements.
Can I use other AI meeting transcription tools at work?
No, They record private meeting information and use that data to train their models, potentially violating your privacy, the privacy of others, FERPA, and other policies.
How do I know if a software is approved or not?
At this time, Zoom AI Companion and Microsoft Copilot are the only official university-approved AI meeting software. Any other tools are not approved.
How do I get new software approved?
If there is a software you’d like to use or suggest for consideration, read more about University’s software purchasing and usage requirements.
More Resources
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