Asking in-meeting questions with the AI Companion

The AI Companion feature uses AI technology, which may include third-party models, to allow meeting participants to ask questions about the content of the meeting thus far. Preset questions are provided, such as “Catch me up”, “Was my name mentioned?”, and “What are the action items?”, which can be useful for catching up when you join late or return after stepping away from the meeting. More specific custom questions are also possible, like “Was a date agreed on?” and “Was there a decision on the name?”.

Learn more about other Zoom AI Companion features and how Zoom AI Companion features handle your data.

This article covers: 

• Limitations of AI Companion
• How to start AI Companion during a meeting
  • Start AI Companion as the host
  • Enablement requests during a meeting
  • Request AI companion as a participant
  • Stop AI Companion as the host
• How to ask questions about the meeting with AI Companion

Prerequisites for using AI Companion

• A Licensed user on a Zoom Pro, Zoom One Business, Zoom One Business Plus, Zoom One Enterprise, Zoom One Enterprise Plus, or Enterprise Bundle account
• AI Companion enabled
• Meeting Summary enabled
• A scheduled meeting with an automatically generated Meeting ID
• Zoom desktop client
  • Windows: 5.15.12 or higher
  • macOS: 5.15.12 or higher
  • Linux: 5.15.12 or higher
• Zoom mobile app
  • Android: 5.15.12 or higher
  • iOS: 5.15.12 or higher
• Zoom Rooms version 5.16.0 or higher

Note: Host's in-meeting control of which participants can ask AI Companion questions requires version 5.16.2 or higher. 

Limitations of AI Companion

• Currently, AI Companion only supports meetings held in English, as well as all questions and responses.
• AI Companion only supports scheduled meetings with an automatically generated Meeting ID, and thus instant meetings and meetings scheduled with your PMI are not supported currently.
• Only internal participants invited when the meeting was scheduled through the Zoom web portal, desktop or mobile app, or 3rd-party calendars (Google, Office365, etc.) can interact with AI Companion to ask questions. 
  
  • External participants (participants not on the same account as the host), unauthenticated participants (not signed-in), and participants not part of the original meeting invite (those added to the event after initial scheduling, invited ad-hoc during the meeting, or who used a shared join link) will be unable to interact with AI Companion.
• Only the meeting host can start or stop AI Companion through the in-meeting controls.
• Questions can only be answered if the content was discussed while AI Companion is active in the current meeting.
• Meeting hosts in Zoom Rooms can only start or stop AI Companion. 

How to start AI Companion during a meeting

Start AI Companion as the host

When the meeting starts, the host will need to manually start AI Companion so that it is available to in-meeting participants.

1. Start a meeting as the host with the Zoom desktop client.
2. In the meeting control toolbar, click AI Companion .
   The AI Companion panel will open in the meeting.
3. Click Start to begin having the meeting conversations analyzed.
4. Click Got it to confirm.
   The meeting discussions will begin to be analyzed, and participants will see a notification informing them that AI Companion is active.

Control which participants can ask AI Companion questions

The original meeting host, alternative host, or users with host privileges assigned before the meeting starts can control who in the meeting can ask questions to AI Companion. This can also be controlled through web settings, and, if the web setting is locked by admins, the host cannot change this in-meeting. 

1. In the Zoom desktop client, start a meeting as the host or alternative host.
2. In the meeting control toolbar, click AI Companion .
3. Choose who in the meeting can ask AI Companion questions:
   • All participants: Allows all participants to ask questions about all discussion since AI Companion is active. 
   • All participants only from when they join: Allows all participants to ask questions about discussion since they joined the current meeting. 
     
   • Only hosts: Allow only the original host, alternative host, and users with host privileges assigned before the meeting starts to ask questions about all discussions since AI Companion is active. 
4. Click Start.
5. (Optional) At any point during the meeting, in the meeting control toolbar, click the up arrow icon next to AI Companion to change who in the meeting can ask questions to AI Companion.

Enablement requests during a meeting

If the host does have AI Companion enabled for their meetings, any meeting participants can request that it be started for the current meeting.

• The host will receive an in-meeting request to start AI Companion for the current meeting.

If the host does not have AI Companion enabled for their meetings, the host, co-hosts, and any participants can request that it be enabled.

• If the host or another meeting participant is an admin, they will be prompted to enable it during the current meeting.
  • For Pro accounts, an admin in the meeting will be prompted to enable both the in-meeting AI Companion feature and the web-portal AI Companion setting through the meeting window prompt. This will take effect immediately.
  • For Business accounts and higher, an admin in the meeting will be prompted in the meeting window to open the web portal and enable AI Companion setting. This will take effect upon the next meeting start.
• If no one in the meeting has the necessary admin permissions, admins will be sent the request as an email from Zoom.

Request AI companion as a participant

If the host does not have AI companion enabled for the current meeting, the host and any participants can request this be enabled for use. Learn more about how the host or an admin handles enablement during a meeting.

1. Join a meeting with the Zoom desktop client.
2. In the meeting control toolbar, click AI Companion .
   If not currently enabled for the meeting, the participant will be prompted to request feature enablement.
3. Click Send Request.
   The request will be sent to the host (if an admin) or any admins in the current meeting. If no admins are present, an email request is sent instead.

Stop AI Companion as the host

If the host wants to discuss topics informally without AI Companion running for in-meeting queries, they can disable AI Companion, so those topics will not be available for analysis and questions.

1. In the meeting control toolbar, click AI Companion .
   The AI Companion panel will open on the right side of the meeting window.
2. In the top-left corner, click Disable.
   You will be prompted to confirm disabling AI Companion in the current meeting.
3. Click Disable to confirm.

How to ask questions about the meeting with AI Companion

With AI Companion active for the meeting, all participants will be able to ask questions about the meeting discussions thus far.

1. In the meeting control toolbar, click AI Companion .
   The AI Companion panel will open on the right side of the meeting window.
   Note: If this is the first time opening AI Companion in the current meeting, some typical preset questions are provided. Any subsequent views of the panel for the current meeting will have your questions and responses thus far shown instead.
2. Click a provided question, or click the text compose box at the bottom of the panel to enter a custom question.
   Zoom’s AI Companion will provide a generated response based on what it has heard and properly analyzed thus far in the meeting.
3. (Optional) Click either thumbs up or thumbs down  to rate the generated response.
4. Enter another custom question, or click the ellipsis  to view additional preset questions.