Microsoft is reversing a decision that frustrated a lot of people. Starting in early July 2026, the company is rolling out a button in Teams that lets the meeting organizer turn off AI mid-call: Copilot, Facilitator, and Recap. Until now, these features had a habit of turning themselves on, which annoyed enough users that Microsoft decided to back down.

For a small business in Trois-Rivières, Mauricie, or anywhere else in Quebec, this isn’t just a minor interface tweak. When AI listens to, transcribes, and summarizes a meeting, it touches information that can be sensitive: client files, financial figures, internal decisions. Getting back control over what gets captured, and when, is a real governance question.

1. What Microsoft Is Actually Changing

The change is straightforward: a toggle for meeting AI, available during the call instead of only in pre-meeting settings. The organizer or a presenter can turn everything on, turn everything off, or pick and choose by feature. According to Microsoft’s documentation, when meeting AI is turned off, Teams stops generating Copilot responses, Facilitator responses, and automatic notes.

• The button is for the organizer and presenters, not every participant.
• Whoever uses it needs a Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
• Tenant admin policies always take precedence: if AI is disabled at the organization level, the button doesn’t appear at all.
• The change applies to new meetings, not ones that have already taken place.

One important thing to keep in mind: transcription and meeting AI are linked. Turning on AI also turns on transcription and generates a summary, and the reverse is true. A business that genuinely wants no record of a meeting needs to turn off both, AI and transcription.

2. Copilot, Facilitator, and Recap: What Each One Does

These three names come up constantly, but they don’t do the same thing. Knowing the difference helps you decide what to keep and what to turn off.

• Copilot answers questions during the meeting and summarizes the conversation on request.
• Facilitator takes real-time notes, tracks the agenda and timer, captures action items, and can even generate a Word or Loop document from the discussion. It requires a Microsoft 365 Copilot license to add.
• Recap is the automatic summary produced after the meeting, covering key points and next steps.

Each of these features consumes your meeting content to do its job. That’s convenient when everyone knows about it and is on board. It’s a lot less convenient when a client, a vendor, or an employee finds out after the fact that the conversation was transcribed and summarized without anyone asking.

3. Why This Matters for Your Small Business in Quebec

In Quebec, Law 25 governs the collection and use of personal information. A meeting transcribed word for word and then summarized by AI can contain exactly that kind of data: a client’s name, case details, decisions about a specific person. The basic principle is the same as for a classic recording: people should know they’re being captured and have a chance to consent.

The new button doesn’t fix everything, but it gives you room to maneuver. You can run the sensitive part of a meeting without AI, then turn it back on for the rest. You also avoid ending up with transcripts and summaries sitting in your files when nobody really planned to create them. To build a clear policy around this, working with a managed IT services partner can help define who can turn AI on, for which meetings, and with what level of consent.

The general public is affected too. A video medical appointment, a call with an advisor, a parent-teacher meeting: nobody wants their words transcribed and summarized without their knowledge. The fact that Microsoft backed down shows that user pressure works, and that a culture of consent is gaining ground.

4. How to Take Back Control Without Breaking Everything

Turning off AI in a meeting is a good start, but it takes some preparation. A few simple habits will help you avoid surprises and keep your teams productive.

• Decide in advance which meetings benefit from AI (an internal brainstorm, for example) and which ones don’t (a call with a client on a sensitive file).
• Clearly define who can turn AI on or off, since the button requires a specific license.
• Let participants know at the start of the call when AI is active, just as you would with a recording.
• Remember that turning off AI doesn’t erase notes already taken: what was captured before stays there.
• Clean up your tenant settings so these features don’t turn themselves back on with the next update.

A solid Microsoft 365 and Teams configuration is as much about security as it is about peace of mind. If you’re not sure about your current settings, it’s better to have them reviewed than to find out mid-meeting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off AI delete notes that were already taken?

No. The button stops new notes, responses, and summaries from being created, but anything already generated during the meeting stays saved. To remove those items, you’ll need to delete them manually afterward.

Do you need a license to use this button?

Yes. According to Microsoft, the person who turns meeting AI on or off (the organizer or a presenter) must have a Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Other participants see the results, but they don’t control the switch.

When will this feature be available?

The rollout started in early July 2026 for an initial group, with general availability expected by the end of July 2026, on Windows, macOS, mobile, and the web. Whether the button appears also depends on your organization’s policies.

Stay in Control of Your Meetings

This button in Teams sends a clear message: AI in the workplace should stay a tool you choose to use, not one that shows up uninvited. For a small business in Quebec, it’s an opportunity to bring order to your meeting practices, respect client consent, and rest easy on the privacy front. Our managed IT services can configure Teams and Microsoft 365 to fit your needs, and our team is available for questions through our contact page.