AI Transcription
Turning recorded or live speech into text with an AI speech-to-text model. In Microsoft Teams it is switched on during a meeting, and the transcript is what Copilot's meeting recap is built from.
What it means in practice
The GenAI FAQ advises against recording or transcribing meetings where confidential information will come up. Once a transcript has been processed, the FAQ on forgetting says chats and saved memories can be deleted but one item cannot be removed cleanly, and if sensitive data was shared by mistake the people responsible for data protection should be told.
How we use it
Working from a transcript is a practical module in several courses: the ChatGPT Enterprise course covers working from meeting transcripts, and the admin document workflows course produces minutes from a transcript. The GenAI FAQ also describes an always-listening assistant as a build project rather than a setting, with a speech-to-text model transcribing a rolling buffer, and a warning that it records everyone nearby.
FAQ
Questions about AI transcription
Can Copilot transcribe an Existing recording?
No. The GenAI FAQ says turning an existing video or audio file into text is a separate capability that Copilot does not have. For Teams meetings, transcription has to be switched on at the time; for an existing recording, use a dedicated transcription tool.
Can I refuse to be transcribed in a Teams meeting?
Only by leaving the meeting. When the organiser starts recording or transcription, Teams shows a consent message: you can accept and stay, or decline and be disconnected. No transcript also means no Copilot recap.
Can I refuse to be recorded or transcribed in a Teams meeting?
What it means for a Business
A transcript is a data question as much as a convenience. The GenAI FAQ's advice is prevention: do not start transcription where confidential information could come up, because Copilot cannot be made to forget one item from a transcript it has already processed.
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