Zoom AI: Guidance and Best Practices

A knowledge base article about Zoom AI: Guidance and Best Practices provided by the UC Berkeley IT Service Hub - Knowledge Portal

Zoom is one of Berkeley’s approved video conferencing platforms. Zoom AI tools have been approved and enabled for use within Berkeley-hosted Zoom meetings. The Zoom AI Companion features currently available to Berkeley staff include:

Meeting Summary
Meeting Questions
Smart Recording
Whiteboard

Zoom video conferencing, as well as the Zoom AI features embedded in the platform, are covered under the UC Terms and Conditions.

Note: Zoom does not use audio, video, chat, screen sharing, attachments or other communications-like content (such as poll results, whiteboards, and reactions) to train Zoom’s or third-party AI models.

Before using the Zoom AI features, you are expected to complete the AI Essentials training course which covers foundational AI concepts, UC policies regarding the usage of AI tools, and opportunities for application in Higher Education. Please see below for recommendations and requirements regarding security, privacy, and data protection.

These recommendations are subject to change, including if Zoom revises its policies or procedures or if additional documentation becomes available.

Terms of Acceptable Use

The following are the UC requirements regarding communication and acceptable use when using AI Companion. For a full list of definitions and examples by data level, please refer to the Protection Level Classification Table from the Information Security Office.

Permitted Use by Data Protection Level

Permitted Use up to P4:
1. No P4 data is appropriate for use when Zoom AI features are enabled. Given the sensitive nature of P4 data and the concern with how data is retained or used by Zoom’s third-party AI vendors, we recommend that users be instructed not to share P4 data through Zoom AI Companion features.
2. Without any Zoom AI features enabled, Zoom continues to be permitted for communications up to and including P4 data. However, users should still be instructed to exercise caution when discussing P3/P4 data if external, non-UC parties are present.
Permitted Use up to P3:
1. When hosted by a UC Berkeley account, the use of the following Zoom AI features is approved for discussions involving P1, P2, and non-sensitive P3 data:
  1. Meeting Summary
  2. Smart Recording
2. Limitations: Given the sensitivity of certain P3 data and the unknown handling of UC data by Zoom’s AI vendors, users should be instructed against sharing the following information when Zoom AI Companion features are enabled:
  1. Privileged communications, including discussions about ongoing investigations or legal risk;
  2. Gender-affirming care, including internal policies and procedures; and
  3. Abortion services, including internal policies and procedures.
Permitted Use up to P2:
1. When hosted by an external account, the use of any Zoom AI Companion features is acceptable for discussions involving only P1 and P2 data. Otherwise, when attending a non-UC Berkeley-hosted meeting where AI features are enabled, discussions containing P3 and P4 data are not permitted.
2. When hosted by a UC Berkeley account, the use of any other Zoom AI Companion features not listed in Section 2 is acceptable for discussions involving only P1 and P2 data. If discussions go beyond P2 data, then request that AI Companion be disabled or leave the meeting.

Managers have the right to restrict using Zoom AI Companion features and likewise may limit use to only discussions involving P1 and P2 data.

Records and Retention

Transcripts or summaries must be vetted before being shared with others. Such records may be subject to legal preservation requirements as well as UC document retention policies. It is the user’s obligation to understand and abide by those requirements.

Such records may be subject to legal preservation requirements as well as UC document retention policies. It is the user’s obligation to understand and abide by those requirements.

Many of these transcripts and summaries are considered public records and are subject to the same disclosure requirements, where applicable. They are subject to discovery during litigation, public records requests, etc. Handle information generated by the AI tools pursuant to the applicable UC records management policy.

Recordings, Transcripts and Summaries

It is recommended that you review and proofread Zoom AI-generated meeting summaries, highlights, smart chapters, next steps, etc. for accuracy and proper content and edit accordingly before sharing with others, especially when information is sensitive. Zoom summaries can omit important parts of a conversation and can introduce errors as Zoom AI tries to summarize long conversations.

If you will need access to a recording or meeting summary after the video file retention date, do not save it to your laptop. Follow best practices for data storage and guidance on keeping sensitive data safe.

Remember: Sensitive and confidential data cannot be stored on local machines and must be uploaded to secure storage (such as bDrive, Box, or Kaltura for up-to P3 information).
Zoom AI tool algorithms do not train on any of our data, but summaries and other data are stored in the Zoom cloud for 30 days. Recordings may be stored on the Zoom cloud for up to 30 days based on individual accounts settings of the person recording.

Notification and Consent

Meeting participants can object to the use of AI in meetings, and can ask the Meeting Host to stop the use of Zoom AI tools for part of or the entirety of the meeting. At the beginning of any meeting where the use of a Zoom AI tool is intended, the Meeting Host must verbally notify attendees and allow for objections. Sometimes an attendee may need to click "OK" to acknowledge ZoomAI is in use before they can enter a Zoom meeting. Upon entering the meeting, the attendee can ask the Meeting Host to disable it. There may be situations in which a mandatory attendee elects to opt-out. In such cases, the host shall refrain from using the Zoom AI tool.

The Zoom Meeting Summary with AI Companion tool can be enabled/disabled ad hoc by the Meeting Host, Alternate Meeting Host or Meeting Co-Host at any time. If the meeting summary starts and is later disabled, the Meeting Host will be provided with the option to delete any existing summaries related to the meeting. If the Meeting Host chooses not to delete the summaries, and later re-enables the meeting summary feature, Zoom will continue using the same summary and will not summarize any part of the meeting while it was disabled as it has no access to the meeting while it is disabled.

An attendee’s request to opt out of the use of a Zoom AI tool in a small meeting (less than 5 people) must be granted. For larger meetings, please consult your Employment & Labor Relations representative and/or UC Legal for advice regarding handling. This is an evolving topic that will be revisited as we become more acquainted with the use of these tools in our daily work.

Handling Sensitive Matters

Do not use Zoom AI to discuss sensitive matters e.g., privileged legal matters, sensitive employee, student, or supplier-related discussions, etc. when Zoom AI features are enabled. If it becomes necessary to discuss sensitive matters, the Meeting Host must:

Stop the Meeting Summary tool by selecting ‘Stop Summary’ on the Zoom toolbar, or
Stop the Smart Recording tool by selecting ‘Stop Recording’ on the Zoom toolbar.
If sensitive information (P3 or P4 data) is inadvertently shared before the Meeting Host stops the AI Summary or recording, it is the responsibility of the Meeting Host to redact this information from the meeting summary and/or recording prior to distribution.
As a default, do not use Zoom AI for attorney-client privileged meetings or data unless the UC Legal attorney involved has approved the use for that particular meeting/data.

Referenced and/or adapted: University of California, Office of the President’s Zoom AI: Terms of Acceptable Use, and the UCSB Zoom AI: Terms of Acceptable Use.