Legal And Security Experts Say AI Notetakers Have Big Downsides ...
Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan have declared states of emergency, with other parts of Canada seeing worsening conditions. Lately, the new attendee to your meeting is likely an artificially intelligent notetaker.
In the past two years, AI notetakers have spawned everywhere. Google, Microsoft, Otter.ai and many other firms pitch their AI notetakers as the most convenient way to “boost meeting productivity,” as Google claims, by quickly recapping key points of what was said and what should be done next if you let them join your meeting.
The Accuracy Issue
But do you really want these bots as your guests at your next meeting? The main problem with these tools is how often they can be inaccurate ― and yet they can create a lasting record that may one day be used against you. “AI programs are designed to give you an answer, not the answer,” explained Erica Wilson, a Fisher Phillips lawyer who advises businesses on using AI notetakers.
When I used Google’s AI notetaker, Gemini, for my team’s monthly brainstorm, I noticed the AI-generated transcript assigned me stories I didn’t agree to write, which could have created headaches if I didn’t double-check its work. Even Gemini itself warned me in its summary that I “should review Gemini’s notes to make sure they’re accurate,” which, for me, defeats the convenience of using it in the first place. AI has a known problem of making stuff up, or having “hallucinations,” as researchers call it. In worst cases, these hallucinations could lead to lawsuits, as people may now believe you said something you didn’t.
Privacy and Legal Concerns
Using an AI notetaker that records and generates transcripts of what was said without people’s consent could potentially be illegal. There are at least 10 states, including California, Florida, Illinois, and Massachusetts, that require “all-party consent” for recording, meaning everyone on the call must agree to be recorded. If these privacy and legal downsides are not enough to dissuade you, at the very least, give everyone a heads-up that you are bringing an AI notetaker as your plus-one.
Consider Alternatives
It’s clear why the companies behind these AI notetakers want us to use their services at meetings: For one, our chattering helps to train their AI products. Wilson said AI notetakers could be useful in large 50-person all-hands meetings where not everyone is expected to contribute, but become more of a legal issue in smaller group settings where people are expected to share. She said that if you want to add one to your next meeting, you should consider, “Is this really collaborative? Are we really getting use out of it, or are we just using it for the sake of using it? And for the people who are uncomfortable with it, do we have meaningful alternatives?”
The Psychological Impact
Know that no one enjoys being surveilled, and AI notetakers can change our behavior for the worse. Susan McGregor, a researcher at Columbia University’s Data Science Institute, highlighted how being monitored by AI can stifle creativity and innovation. She makes a compelling case for the value of simply taking notes yourself. Ultimately, you can choose to endure all the legal and psychological headaches and use an AI notetaker, or you can simply use your own brain to start typing in a document, stress-free, about key points.
