{"id":804,"date":"2025-04-17T17:30:37","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T17:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techrepublic.com\/?p=4302294"},"modified":"2025-04-17T17:30:37","modified_gmt":"2025-04-17T17:30:37","slug":"no-ai-agents-are-allowed-eu-bans-use-of-ai-assistants-in-virtual-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tecnoartesanos.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/17\/no-ai-agents-are-allowed-eu-bans-use-of-ai-assistants-in-virtual-meetings\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No AI Agents are Allowed.\u2019 EU Bans Use of AI Assistants in Virtual Meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"EU
Image: Guillaume P\u00e9rigois\/Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The EU is banning the use of AI-powered virtual assistants during online meetings. Such assistants are often used to transcribe, take notes, or even record visuals and audio during a video conference.<\/p>\n

In a presentation from the European Commission<\/a> delivered to European Digital Innovation Hubs earlier this month, there is a note on the \u201cOnline Meeting Etiquette\u201d slide that states \u201cNo AI Agents are allowed.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI agents are tools that can perform complex, multi-step tasks autonomously often by interacting with applications, such as video conferencing software. For example, Salesforce uses AI agents to call sales leads<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Commission confirmed this presentation was the first time this rule had been imposed but declined to explain why when questioned by Politico<\/a>. There is no specific EU legislation that covers AI agents, but the AI models that power them will need to abide by the strict and controversial rules<\/a> of the AI Act<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/span>AI agents raise security concerns<\/span><\/h2>\n

While AI notetakers and other agent types are not inherently a security threat, according to a 2025 report from global AI experts<\/a>, security risks stem from the user being unaware of what their AI agents are doing, their innate ability to operate outside of the user\u2019s control, and potential AI-to-AI interactions. These factors make AI agents less predictable than standard models.<\/p>\n

SEE: <\/b>How Can AI Be Used Safely? Researchers From Harvard, MIT, IBM & Microsoft Weigh In<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Tech companies do have to be cautious when promoting products that can accomplish an increasing amount without the user\u2019s awareness. One of the biggest cautionary tales is that of Microsoft Recall, an AI tool that allowed users to control their PC or search through files using natural language.<\/p>\n

The convenience came at a cost: Recall captured screenshots of active windows every few seconds, saving them as a timeline, raising concerns about privacy and data usage and leading to significant launch delays<\/a>. Microsoft has since released a series of agents specifically designed to tackle cyber threats<\/a>.<\/p>\n