Virtual meetings have become an integral part of modern work life — but not always in a productive way. Have you ever joined a meeting only to realize that one attendee isn’t a person at all, but an AI assistant quietly taking notes and summarizing discussions? By the time you close your laptop, the AI has already sent a clean recap to the team, capturing decisions and action items with precision.
A few years ago, this scenario would have seemed like science fiction. Today, it’s a reality. According to McKinsey, 62% of organizations report experimenting with AI agents, often redesigning workflows to integrate them. And employees are increasingly relying on AI not just to support meetings — in some cases, AI attends meetings on their behalf. A recent survey found that nearly 3 in 10 workers admit to letting AI stand in during discussions.
This trend raises an important question: if no human is needed for certain meetings, do they need to exist at all?
The Meeting Overload Problem
The frustration with unnecessary meetings is not new. The pandemic amplified the issue as organizations moved quickly to virtual work, increasing the number of meetings per employee. Data from the American Society of Employers shows that weekly meetings have tripled since 2020, while employees report that 71% of their meetings feel like a waste of time.
Lauren Fanella, Director of Strategic Sourcing at a supplement manufacturing company, experiences this firsthand. She attends an average of seven meetings a day, which often leaves little room for focused work. “Some meetings are productive, but others are redundant,” she explains. “A productive meeting is organized, goal-oriented, and assigns clear action items to move projects forward.”
For professionals like Fanella, the potential of AI in meetings is promising, yet adoption remains limited. Tools like Fireflies.ai, which transcribes and summarizes meetings, are helpful but not transformative. Fanella notes, “For AI to be truly useful in my role, it needs to do more than just provide a transcript.”
AI as a Meeting Enhancer
Other professionals, however, are embracing AI assistants more fully. Erin Silva, Head of People at a consumer brand, attends multiple meetings daily, including interviews and leadership discussions. She relies on Tactiq and Google’s Gemini to manage meeting notes and summaries.
Tactiq, for example, automatically transcribes meetings and allows Silva to query the session later, even comparing discussions to uploaded documents such as job descriptions. This allows her to evaluate candidates or track decisions without sacrificing real-time engagement. Silva explains, “AI lets me participate fully in the meeting without worrying about missing details. I can focus on the conversation while still having a complete record.”
For early adopters like Silva, AI is not a replacement for human interaction but a productivity multiplier, reducing administrative burden and freeing mental bandwidth for higher-value tasks.
AI Attendance: Benefits and Limitations
AI assistants in meetings offer several advantages:
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Time Savings – AI can handle repetitive documentation, allowing employees to focus on meaningful contributions.
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Improved Equity – Historically, administrative tasks like note-taking have disproportionately fallen on women and junior staff. AI can distribute workload more fairly.
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Better Follow-Up – Automated summaries ensure action items and decisions are captured accurately and shared promptly.
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Increased Engagement – Without the distraction of note-taking, participants can concentrate fully on discussion and decision-making.
Silva points out that her CEO often tells staff, “Don’t take notes — we have Gemini running.” This allows employees to fully participate and removes the invisible burden of administrative chores.
However, AI has limitations. Not all meetings are suitable for automation. Human presence remains essential in discussions requiring relationship-building, nuanced negotiation, or mentorship. Silva emphasizes, “HR meetings, onboarding sessions, and manager one-on-ones should not be automated. Connection matters, even if AI handles the tactical parts.”
Fanella echoes this cautious perspective, noting that current AI tools cannot yet handle complex contextual judgment or interpersonal dynamics. For professionals evaluating adoption, the key is determining which meetings truly benefit from AI support.
The Future of AI in Meetings
Looking ahead, AI may take on increasingly active roles in facilitating meetings rather than simply documenting them. Silva envisions AI guiding participants to stay on schedule, prompting questions, and ensuring actionable outcomes. This approach could reduce unnecessary meetings, improving productivity across teams.
Additionally, AI integration has broader implications for workplace culture and productivity. By offloading routine tasks, employees can dedicate time to brainstorming, problem-solving, and strategic work requiring human insight. Unnecessary check-ins become less frequent, and focus is restored to work that drives measurable outcomes.
Striking the Right Balance
While AI offers significant promise, successful adoption requires thoughtful implementation. Organizations must balance automation with human engagement to preserve collaboration and creativity. Meetings with AI support can be more efficient, but they should not replace interactions where relationship-building and context are key.
This balance is particularly important in hybrid and remote work environments, where maintaining team cohesion can be challenging. AI can complement human participation by reducing administrative friction, but it cannot replace empathy, mentorship, or the nuanced understanding of interpersonal dynamics.
Conclusion: Less Noise, More Value
The rise of AI meeting assistants illustrates a broader trend toward optimizing work processes and reclaiming employee time. By automating transcription, summarization, and follow-up tasks, AI frees workers to focus on meaningful collaboration while reducing the burden of unnecessary meetings.
For some, AI tools are already transforming daily workflows, enabling full engagement and smarter decision-making. For others, these tools remain experimental, requiring clear demonstrations of value before widespread adoption.
Ultimately, AI in meetings is about clearing the noise, not replacing human connection. As technology improves, companies that integrate AI thoughtfully will benefit from more productive meetings, better employee engagement, and fairer distribution of administrative work — creating a workplace where both humans and AI can contribute effectively.
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