Copilot vs Teams Premium Additional Meeting Features
Overview
Microsoft provides built-in AI capabilities in Teams through Microsoft Teams Premium and Microsoft 365 Copilot. These tools allow users to capture, summarize, and act on meeting content securely within the SIUE Microsoft 365 environment.
Some users have also explored third-party tools such as Read AI. While these tools have helpful features, they are not approved for use with your SIUE account or permitted to join SIUE meetings. In most cases, the desired features are already available in Teams, through Copilot.
This article explains what is available natively in Teams and Copilot, when additional licenses may be helpful, why unapproved third-party meeting assistants are not permitted, and how to accomplish common “Read AI-style” tasks using approved tools.
Key Differences at a Glance
| Feature | Teams (Standard) | Teams Premium | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Third-Party Tools (e.g., Read AI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meeting recording and transcript | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI meeting recap (notes, tasks) | Limited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ask questions about a meeting | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Cross-meeting summaries | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Works across Microsoft 365 apps | No | No | Yes | No |
| Data stays within the SIUE Microsoft 365 environment | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Automatically joins meetings as a bot | No | No | No | Yes |
Approved Tools at SIUE
Microsoft Teams (Standard)
All users have access to core Teams meeting features, including:
- Meeting recordings
- Transcripts
- Basic meeting recap information such as the recording, transcript, and shared files
Best for: Users who need basic meeting capture and review features.
Microsoft Teams Premium (Optional License)
Teams Premium enhances meetings with Intelligent Recap, which may include:
- AI-generated meeting notes
- Suggested action items
- Speaker timeline and topic navigation
- Personalized meeting highlights
Best for: Users who want a more structured and automated way to review meetings after they end.
Microsoft 365 Copilot (Optional License)
Copilot builds on Teams and allows users to interact with meeting content in a more dynamic way. Users can:
- Ask questions during or after a meeting
- Generate summaries, decisions, and action items
- Use meeting content across Microsoft 365 apps such as Outlook and Word
Best for: Users who want interactive AI assistance and follow-up support beyond a single meeting recap.
Tools Not Approved for SIUE Meetings
Third-party AI meeting assistants such as Read AI are not approved for use with SIUE meetings.
These tools may join meetings as external participants or bots, capture meeting audio and chat content, and process meeting information outside the SIUE Microsoft 365 environment.
This introduces concerns related to:
- Data privacy
- Institutional control of meeting content
- Compliance with university requirements and expectations
- Limited visibility into how meeting data is stored, retained, or reused
Recommendation: Use Microsoft Teams, Teams Premium, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for AI-supported meeting features whenever possible.
How to Do Common “Read AI-Style” Tasks Using Approved Tools
1. I want automatic meeting summaries
Use Teams Premium Intelligent Recap.
- Open the meeting in the Teams Calendar.
- Select the Recap tab.
- Review AI-generated notes, suggested tasks, and meeting highlights.
This covers most post-meeting summary needs without requiring a third-party tool.
2. I want to ask questions about a meeting
Use Copilot in Teams.
During or after a meeting, open Copilot and try prompts such as:
- What decisions were made?
- What are my action items?
- Summarize this meeting in five bullet points.
This gives users an interactive way to work with meeting content rather than just reviewing a static recap.
3. I want a recap of all my meetings this week
Use Copilot for cross-meeting summaries.
In Copilot chat, users can ask questions such as:
- Summarize my meetings from this week.
- What follow-ups do I have from recent meetings?
This provides a similar “meeting memory” experience while keeping information within approved tools.
4. I want help writing follow-up emails or reports
Use Copilot across Microsoft 365.
Examples include:
- Drafting a follow-up email in Outlook
- Creating a meeting summary document in Word
- Summarizing a related Teams chat or channel conversation
This helps turn meeting content into useful next steps using approved SIUE tools.
5. I want to quickly find where something was discussed
Use the recap timeline in Teams Premium.
Users can navigate more efficiently by jumping to:
- When a specific person spoke
- When a topic came up
- Important moments in the meeting timeline
This can reduce the need to rewatch an entire meeting recording.
Choosing the Right Tool
| Need | Recommended Option |
|---|---|
| Basic meeting recording and transcript | Teams (Standard) |
| Automated meeting summaries and structured recap | Teams Premium |
| Interactive AI, meeting questions, and follow-up work | Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| External AI meeting bots | Not approved |
Getting Access
SIUE users may request:
- Microsoft Teams Premium licenses
- Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses
These licenses can be purchased through ITS by contacting help@siue.edu. If you are unsure which option best fits your needs, ITS can help review your use case.
Summary
Teams Premium helps users review what happened in a meeting through enhanced recap features.
Microsoft 365 Copilot helps users interact with meeting content and carry it into follow-up work across Microsoft 365.
Third-party tools such as Read AI are not approved for SIUE meetings because they introduce unnecessary risk and process meeting content outside approved university tools.
In most cases, Teams Premium and Copilot provide the capabilities users are looking for while keeping institutional data within the SIUE Microsoft 365 environment.