Read AI can capture a meeting in different ways. The mode determines what other participants see, what commands are available, and how consent is handled.
Web mode
Web mode is the default experience on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet when Read AI is invited from a connected calendar.
In web mode, Read AI:
- Appears in the participant list under its own name, or appears as a persistent icon
- May post a chat message announcing itself and identifying who invited it
- If a chat message is posted, Read will accept the in-chat commands "Read Stop" and "Opt Out" (note that if an opt out link is provided in chat, you must click on that to opt out instead of using the chat command)
- Can be removed from the meeting like any other participant and/or with a stop command
- Knows who is speaking, which is what allows it to attribute lines in the transcript
Desktop and mobile mode (local capture)
In desktop or mobile mode, the user runs Read AI from their own device. Audio is captured locally on that device, rather than by an agent joining the call.
In this mode:
- Read AI does not appear in the participant list, because there is no AI agent in the call
- The "Read Stop" and "Opt Out" chat commands do not work, because there is no bot to receive them
- Read AI does not know who is speaking. It produces a transcript without speaker attribution.
- The user running Read AI controls whether a consent prompt is shown to other participants
The reason this mode exists is practical. Local-device capture works in situations where an agent cannot or should not join, including informal calls, in-person conversations, and platforms that do not allow guest participants.
How consent works in each mode
In web mode, consent is built into the experience. Read AI may announce itself in chat, appear in the participant list or as an icon, and any attendee can opt out. You do not need to ask the host.
In desktop and mobile mode, the user running Read AI is responsible for telling other participants and collecting consent. Read AI provides recommended consent language by default and encourages hosts to inform attendees before recording. The product offers the tools to make that easy, but it cannot enforce them from the device of the person doing the capture.
This is a practical limitation of local-device capture, not a choice to be less transparent.
What to do if you are not sure whether you are being recorded
If you are on a call and you are not sure whether you are being recorded by Read AI or by another tool, ask the host. Recording laws vary by location, and many jurisdictions require consent from all parties on the call.
If Read AI is in the meeting as a agent, you can also type "Opt Out" in chat., or look for the provided opt out link. Read AI will leave the meeting and delete all measured data from that session.