AI Note Taking FAQs

Third-party AI note-taking apps are software or services offered by companies outside of NKY Health's approved platforms such as read.ai or otter.ai. These apps generally join meetings as participants and will often post in the comments that they are present and recording. These apps use artificial intelligence to automatically record, transcribe, summarize, and analyze the content of virtual meetings. The concern stems from the potential risks they pose to the confidentiality, security, and integrity of our data. 

Here are the primary risks: 

• Privacy Violations: Many of these apps store meeting data on external servers, which could expose sensitive information, including Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII), to unauthorized access. This could violate HIPAA and state privacy laws.

• Data Security Breaches: Using external services increases the risk of data breaches, as we have less control over their security measures.

• Loss of Control: NKY Health loses control over the storage, processing, and dissemination of meeting content when using these apps. 

• Data Ownership: Some third-party apps may sell or share collected data with other entities for various purposes, including marketing or data analytics, further compromising the privacy of sensitive information. 

Even if you delete the notes from your device, the third-party service may have already stored copies on their servers. This means we cannot guarantee the complete removal of sensitive information. 

Built-in transcription features within Google Meet are permitted. However, third-party apps that are added to those platforms are still prohibited. 

The IT department has the ability to enact security controls over Google Workspace and the data contained within. Because of this, the IT department can ensure data is handled in a secure and compliant manner. This level of control is not possible with 3rd party applications. 

We recommend the following: 

• Take manual notes using approved note-taking applications on your NKY Health device. 

• Designate a staff member to take official meeting minutes. 

• The Google Gemini feature within Google Meet can be used for meetings hosted on Google Meet 

If you notice a third-party AI note-taking app has joined a meeting you are hosting, you should: 

• Immediately remove the application from the meeting. 

• Clearly state to participants that the use of such applications is prohibited by NKY Health policy and that meeting notes can be provided if requested. 

We recommend the following: 

• Raise your concern with the meeting facilitator or host. 

• If the facilitator does not address the issue and you are concerned about privacy or sensitive information being discussed, consider rescheduling the meeting in person or hosting the virtual meeting to allow better control over these apps. 

• If the above options are not possible, ensure that you are not sharing sensitive or confidential information during the meeting and report your concerns to your supervisor. 

Generally, yes. Built-in recording and transcription features provided by the platform itself (e.g., Zoom's recording, Teams' transcription) are considered safer than third-party AI note-taking applications that join the meeting as a separate participant. The risk primarily comes from external apps that connect to the meeting as a user and send data to their own servers. However, it is always important to ensure that these built-in features are used in compliance with NKY Health policies, and only when all participants have been informed and consented. 

These applications often appear as participants in meetings, with names like 'Note-taking App', 'John's Otter.ai,' or simply the platform's name. They frequently announce their presence with a message indicating they are recording, sometimes providing an option to opt-out. To identify these apps, carefully review the participant list for unfamiliar or uninvited attendees. 

Please contact the IT Help Desk, helpdesk@nkyhealth.org, with any questions or concerns regarding this policy.