AI assistants in Zoom meetings

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) recently received a surge in support tickets related to the use of third-party AI assistants (e.g., otter.ai, fireflies.ai, not.ai) in Zoom meetings and webinars. The use of third-party AI assistants in any UMN environment is prohibited because of the security risk it poses to University data and private information.

To ensure University data is protected, take the following actions:

• Remove all third-party AI assistants from your devices. You may not even be aware that you’ve allowed access. Perform this check to be sure.
• Use existing security controls in your Zoom meetings set-up.
• Report instances of unexpected AI assistants in UMN-hosted Zoom meetings to security@umn.edu.

Zoom AI Companion is an opt-suite of tools that is available to staff. Please note: highly-restricted data may not be used with Zoom AI Companion. Let participants know you plan to use AI at the start of the meeting. For more information on Zoom AI Companion, refer to the Technology Help page.

For more information on the use of AI at the University, see Artificial Intelligence: Appropriate Use of Generative AI Tools. Use of supported Generative AI tools must also be consistent with the University’s Data Security Classification Policy.

Digital Playground

Digital Playground’s next session, Zoom: Part 2, will be on May 21 at 9 a.m. This session will build on the previous Digital Playground sessions, covering additional tools and features available in Zoom. If you haven’t already, join the Google Group to find recordings and resources from previous sessions on Zoom, Gmail, or Google Drive organization. If you have any questions or would like to join the Google group, reach out to Pete Fleenor (fleen010@umn.edu).

Digital Playground kickoff on 11/13

Join Pete Fleenor on Wednesday, November 13 from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m. as we kick off the new monthly “Digital Playground” series. These optional professional development sessions will focus on growing your technology skills and knowledge. The first session will focus on Gmail and how to organize, maintain, and utilize some of the tools that are available. We will cover both basic and more advanced features of Gmail, so all levels of learners are welcome and encouraged to attend. Bring questions that you may already have about Gmail or feel free to message Pete ahead of time. 

Join the session via Zoom. The session will be recorded and shared with those that cannot attend. December’s session will be an Open Forum, and you can also schedule a 1:1 time to talk about tech-related questions that you have. 

To stay in the loop on Digital Playground, join the Google Group. If you have questions contact Pete at fleen010@umn.edu.

Zoom recording storage changes

To ensure future cloud storage capacity, the Zoom cloud storage duration will be reduced to a maximum of 180 days after January 29, 2021. Afterwards, the recordings will be moved to the trash folder. Zoom recordings used to be saved for 455 days. However, due to the increased use of Zoom during COVID-19, this time frame was reduced to ensure storage capacity. If you want to retain your recordings before they are deleted, you must download the files, which can be accessed at umn.zoom.us.

Video files, however, tend to be large, which can slow down your device. So we recommend storing your zoom recordings on one of the following University-funded cloud storage options:

• Google drive
• Kaltura MediaSpace

If you have any questions, please contact Technology Help.