Use Zoom AI Companion for Crew Meeting Summaries
What This Does
Zoom's AI Companion automatically generates a meeting summary with key discussion points and action items after a video or audio call — useful for post-incident reviews, safety meetings, and crew planning calls.
Before You Start
- You have a Zoom account (free tier supports basic AI features; host usually enables AI Companion)
- The meeting host has AI Companion enabled in their Zoom account settings
- You're using a recent version of the Zoom app
Steps
1. Join or host the Zoom meeting normally
Start or join the meeting as you usually would. AI Companion runs automatically if the host has enabled it — you don't need to do anything special to activate it.
2. Look for the AI Companion indicator
When AI Companion is active, a small notification will appear in the meeting that recording and summarization is active. All participants are notified.
3. Let the meeting run normally
Speak naturally. AI Companion processes the conversation in the background. No special formatting or speaking style required.
4. Access the summary after the meeting ends
When the meeting ends, the host receives a summary by email. If you're the host, check your email for the AI Companion summary within a few minutes. It includes: main topics discussed, key decisions made, and action items with names attached (if people said "I'll do X" or "You should handle Y").
5. Use the summary for follow-up
Copy the action items into your team's shared notes, your own task list, or send to crew members who weren't on the call. Use it as the basis for a written meeting recap if required.
Real Example
Scenario: Your crew holds a post-storm incident review call on Zoom. Four people are on the call discussing what went wrong with circuit restoration coordination.
What AI Companion captures:
Meeting Summary — Storm Incident Review, March 19
Key Discussion Points:
- Circuit 14-C restoration was delayed because incoming crew wasn't briefed on the broken pole at mile marker 7
- Crew communication during shift handoff was unclear — multiple crews checked the same section
Action Items:
- [Name]: Update shift handoff template to include active trouble spots by mile marker
- [Name]: Confirm all crews use the same outage map channel during storm events
- Follow up at next safety meeting
That's a usable record of a 45-minute call, generated automatically.
Tips
- AI Companion works best when people introduce themselves at the start ("I'm [name], journeyman at the [location] yard") so it can attribute action items correctly
- If you're not the host, ask whoever schedules the meeting to enable AI Companion before the call — it's in their account settings under AI Companion → Enable for meetings
- The free Zoom tier has limited AI Companion features — the host needs a paid account for the full summary feature
- You can also use Microsoft Teams' equivalent (Copilot for Teams) if your utility uses Teams instead of Zoom — same concept
Tool interfaces change — if AI Companion settings have moved, look for AI features in the Zoom account admin settings.