AI Has Joined the Meeting. Now What?

If you've been in a meeting recently and noticed a few extra names on the attendee list, you're not alone. AI note takers are coming to work.

Whether it's a weekly Zoom call, a committee meeting over coffee, or a company-wide town hall, note-taking apps are now listening in. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not an expert in artificial intelligence. I'm learning as we go, just like you. But I am someone who cares about how we connect with others. That includes our conversations, meetings, and work relationships.

So let's talk about it. What's the right way to use AI in meetings without losing our human connections?

The Benefit of Bots

Meeting assistant tools are designed to handle the busy work that comes with meetings. They can create transcripts, summarize key points, identify follow-up tasks, and sometimes even analyze the emotional tone of a discussion.

You might see them listed as participants in Zoom or notice a small icon in the corner of your screen showing that notes are being captured. Tools like Otter.ai, Zoom's built-in assistant, and ChatGPT's meeting mode are just a few examples. You might even see someone use their phone for in-person note-taking.

The goal is to free up participants so they can focus on the conversation. As meetings stack up on calendars, these tools can help us make sure important details aren't lost, especially for those who can't attend live.

When Bots Outnumber Humans

But here's where it gets tricky. Some people are now skipping meetings entirely and just sending their AI assistant in their place.

I recently joined a meeting where bots outnumbered people. The interaction felt off, and we didn't accomplish much. It made me think about the message we send when we rely on a bot instead of showing up in person or on camera. I think that message can easily sound something like, "You're not important enough for my time." Yikes!

AI might be great for recording a conversation, but it can't contribute to it. It can't ask the question everyone's thinking. It can't offer support to a struggling colleague. And it does nothing to build professional relationships.

AI Meeting Etiquette Basics

Now that AI is part of our meetings, we need to bring some modern etiquette to the table. Here's what to keep in mind.

1. Let people know in advance

   If you're organizing a meeting, include a brief note in the invitation indicating whether AI will be used. Share what tool you're using, what it does, and who will have access to the notes. Make it easy for people to ask questions, and don't assume everyone's okay with it.

   
   

   If you are a participant who would like to add your AI notetaker to someone else's meeting, ask ahead of time and be prepared to answer the same questions.

   
   

2. Be clear about the purpose

   Is the AI just taking notes? Or is it also analyzing engagement and tone? Be upfront about what's being recorded, what's being measured, and why.

   
   

3. Use one note taker, not ten

   You don't need everyone to bring their own assistant. Agree ahead of time on one AI note taker, and make sure the summary is shared afterward. Too many bots can clutter the screen with icons instead of faces, and when you see fewer faces, you get less connection. That defeats the whole point of meeting in the first place.

   
   

4. Use it intentionally, not automatically

   Some AI tools will join future meetings by default after you use them once. That means your assistant might start popping into calls you didn't plan for. Be thoughtful about when to bring AI into the conversation.

   
   

5. Stick with one tool

   Using a single approved tool across your team or organization helps avoid confusion, protects privacy and keeps things consistent. It also makes it easier to store and share notes in one place.

   
   

6. Hit pause when needed

   Not every conversation should be recorded. Topics like health, performance reviews, or anything involving legal or personal privacy should be handled with more care. Know how to pause or turn off the assistant when the conversation calls for it.

Time to Put It in Writing?

Has the technology gone too far to be reined in with a policy? Not at all.

If you work with others, whether in a company or as a solopreneur, now's a good time to ask a few questions and get clear on how this technology can work for us. Your organization may already have a policy in place. If not, this blog might be worth sharing with them. Hint, hint.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself or your team:

• Will I use AI for internal or external meetings?

• Will I pause it for specific topics?

• Who gets access to the summaries?

A little clarity now can prevent a lot of awkwardness later.

Let Tech Support, Not Replace You

We're all busy. It's tempting to send a bot, skip the call, and read the summary later. And to be fair, AI tools can help. They save time, keep things organized, and I use them all the time.

Still, nothing replaces being present. Whether you're asking a thoughtful question, catching someone's tone, or just being a kind face in a virtual room, it matters.

Want to read more? In a past blog, "Manners and the Machine: Do We Need to Be Polite to AI?", I made the case that we should say "please" and "thank you" to AI, for our own sake.