Usually not for research data. Of the 12 official university pages we read, 11 prohibit, block, or restrict Otter.ai and similar AI note takers, and one allows it with IRB disclosure. Northwestern goes a step further and lists on-device transcription software for research interviews, as long as it sends no data to third parties and needs no API key.
The bot in the meeting. A note taker that joins a call can record people who never agreed to it and send the recording to a system the university does not control. Temple and Stanford ban or block these bots in university meetings, and VCU and Stony Brook cite security concerns. UMass Amherst blocked Otter.ai and MeetGeek in 2024 over the state’s all-party consent law, as the Daily Collegian reported.
Where the research data goes. Cloud transcription sends interviews to a vendor the university has no contract with. Otter’s privacy policy lists “training our proprietary AI technology on de-identified audio recordings and on transcriptions” among its uses. Even university-run services carry limits: UChicago’s SSD Scribe “can only be used to transcribe data with a Research Data Strategy (SRDS) protection level classification of Low or Moderate.”
On-device transcription answers the second worry and removes the bot. You still need consent to record.
IT, IRB, privacy, and research offices only. Library guides, which advise rather than set policy, follow below.
| University | Otter.ai and AI note takers | What it points you to |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | Not to be used with research data | Northwestern Zoom recorded to your computer, Microsoft Teams, Azure speech-to-text in university subscriptions, or Whisper-based apps that run on your computer |
| Harvard University | Not to be used unless approved | University-approved tools with contractual protections |
| Temple University | Prohibited in university meetings | Zoom AI Companion features |
| Stanford University | OtterPilot bot blocked in Stanford Zoom | Zoom's built-in recording and transcription |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Blocked | Zoom's built-in transcription |
| Stony Brook University | Not approved for use | Zoom AI Companion |
| University of Michigan | Not approved; not for sensitive data | Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet captions, MiVideo, Word for the web, or vendors through Procurement |
| Yale University | Not for moderate or high-risk data | Zoom AI Companion, Teams Premium, Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| University of Utah | Unapproved tool | Microsoft Teams Premium, Zoom AI Companion |
| University College London | Advised against for research data | University Office 365, OneDrive, SharePoint, REDCap |
| University of British Columbia | Real-time use only; no stored transcripts | Teams, Zoom, Teams Intelligent Recap, Zoom AI Companion, Transcribe in Word for the web |
| Georgia State University | Allowed with IRB disclosure | A limited number of university Otter.ai licenses |
Read on 2026-09-25. Policies change, so open the linked page before you rely on a row.
“Transcription services not listed below, such as Rev or Otter.ai, should not be used with Northwestern research data.”
“AI meeting assistants should not be used in Harvard meetings, with the exception of approved tools with contractual protections”
Harvard University IT, announced Feb 2025
“All other third-party AI note-takers (such as Reader.AI or Otter.AI) and any other third-party proxy are prohibited in all Temple-owned Zoom sessions, Microsoft Teams meetings, and other teleconferencing and meeting spaces.”
Offices of the President and Provost, effective Jul 10, 2024
“Stanford has already blocked the following bots from being added to Zoom used by Stanford staff:”
University IT news; the blocked list includes OtterPilot, Oct 13, 2023
“Unfortunately, Otter.Ai is not available at this time, and cannot be unblocked due to security concerns.”
“For security reasons, these tools are not approved for usage.”
Division of IT, updated Oct 14, 2025
“Otter.ai is not an approved application for University business and should not be used when handling sensitive data.”
Information and Technology Services, updated May 7, 2026
“These tools pose a risk to meeting confidentiality and should not be used for meetings discussing moderate or high-risk data like student information, proprietary data, HIPAA Protected Health Information (PHI), or financial data.”
“This guidance outlines the university's concerns with using unapproved tools (e.g., Otter.ai and Fireflies.ai) and the advantages of using approved tools such as Microsoft Teams Premium and Zoom AI Companion.”
University AI guidance, Sep 22, 2025
“We strongly recommend that users avoid using such a service which are controlled from outside the EU.”
UCL data protection FAQ, answering whether Otter.ai may be used for doctoral research
“Tools not reviewed or authorized for institutional use may only be used for real-time transcription. Recordings or transcripts must not be stored or distributed through the tool's native platform.”
“Researchers who use Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered transcription services must describe these plans in the IRB application as a data sharing practice.”
Research administration (URSA), Nov 29, 2023
Northwestern IT is the one official page in our set that lists on-device transcription: “Several software programs exist for transcribing recordings locally on your computer, without files or data leaving your computer.” It also tells you how to check: “Turn off all internet connections from your device to check that the software is working locally on your computer and not sending any data to the cloud.” And it sets a limit: “Do not use AI transcription software that sends data to third-party services or requires you to provide an API key in order to use the software.”
Six library guides list local tools:
Why this matters beyond compliance: in September 2026, mathematicians alleged that unpublished ideas typed into AI products may have reached a model. OpenAI denies it. We cover what that dispute means for your lab in is it safe to share unpublished research with AI?
We read each page on 2026-09-25 and quote it word for word. The table includes pages from IT, IRB, privacy, and research offices. We left out pages we could not load and department-level pages. If your university says something different, or we missed one, email support@meetquietly.com and we will update the table.
Quietly transcribes interviews and meetings on your Mac with Whisper, with no bot in the call and no API key. Its Chat runs on a local model through Ollama or LM Studio, so you can ask about an interview without the transcript leaving your Mac. Connecting a cloud model (OpenAI or Anthropic) is optional; if you do, Chat sends the interview you ask about (transcript, notes, and details such as attendees) to that provider.