Use Zoom's AI to Summarize Training and Briefing Meetings

What This Does

Zoom's AI automatically generates a written summary of what was discussed in a department training, briefing, or planning meeting, so you and your team can review key decisions and action items without rewatching the recording.

Before You Start

• Your department uses Zoom for training sessions or briefings
• You have a Zoom account (your department likely has an eligible paid Zoom Workplace plan that includes meeting summary. check with IT)
• Meeting summaries are enabled on your account (account admin enables this in Zoom Admin settings)

Steps

1. Start or join a Zoom meeting as you normally would

Nothing changes in how you run the meeting. Zoom's AI runs in the background.

2. Start the meeting summary (if not already on)

During the meeting, look for the AI icon in the bottom toolbar (it may look like a sparkle/star icon). Hover over it, select the Meeting summary checkbox, then click Start Zoom AI. This starts capturing the meeting content. Zoom used to call this "AI Companion" and dropped that name in 2026, so older help articles and colleagues may still use the old term.

3. Run the meeting normally

Zoom's AI listens to the discussion, identifies speakers, and tracks topics. Participants will see a notification that AI summary is active.

4. After the meeting ends, access your summary

Within a few minutes of the meeting ending, Zoom sends the summary to the host's email. It includes:

• Key topics discussed
• Action items with owner names
• Decisions made
• Next steps

5. Share the summary with your team

Forward the email summary or paste it into your department messaging system. Officers who missed the briefing can catch up in 2 minutes.

Real Example

Scenario: You hosted a 45-minute supervisor training session on updated use-of-force reporting requirements. Three of your officers were on call and couldn't attend.

What you do: Start the meeting summary at the beginning. Run the training normally.

What you get: A 1-page email summary covering the 4 new UOF documentation requirements, the implementation date, and the follow-up training session date, delivered to your inbox automatically.

Tips

• Let participants know at the start of the meeting that Zoom AI is summarizing. this is standard courtesy and required by most departments
• The summary works best when speakers identify themselves and speak clearly; summaries from chaotic multi-speaker sessions are less accurate
• Only use for department meetings that are NOT classified or restricted. never for sensitive operational briefings

Tool interfaces change, if a button has moved, look for similar AI/magic/smart options in the same menu area.