Final week, I walked into a gathering the place AI notetakers outnumbered people three to 1. The irony wasn’t misplaced on me—I constructed one in every of them.
As CEO of Fireflies, I’ve helped put AI in hundreds of thousands of conferences. And I consider AI ought to be in each assembly—as a result of data shouldn’t vanish the second we grasp up. However having the appropriate privateness controls to guard delicate moments is vital to utilizing an AI notetaker.
THE PRIVACY-FIRST DECISION FRAMEWORK
Earlier than your subsequent assembly, ask your self three questions:
- Who controls the info? Each assembly must be captured, however not each recording must be shared. Use non-public assembly settings, management entry permissions, and set retention insurance policies that auto-delete after a sure variety of days.
- Who wants entry? The facility of AI is capturing all the pieces. The duty is controlling who sees what. Share broadly for crew updates, narrowly for efficiency opinions, by no means for delicate discussions.
- What’s the exit technique? Even in conferences that must be recorded, contributors want an out. Make it simple to kick out the bot mid-meeting, delete recordings instantly, or set auto-expiration dates.
MAKE SMARTER CHOICES
The proliferation of AI assembly assistants means you’re now not simply selecting whether or not to make use of one—you’re selecting which one protects your conversations.
Considerate professionals are asking the appropriate questions: Does this software prepare on my firm’s knowledge? Can I delete recordings instantly? Who really has entry to my conversations?
The solutions matter. The distinction between a software that respects your privateness and one which doesn’t isn’t at all times apparent within the demo. Search for suppliers who’re clear about their knowledge practices. Those who make safety boring and simple, not those who make it sophisticated.
YOUR IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP
If you happen to’re able to be extra intentional about AI in conferences, right here’s a easy method:
Week 1-2: Assess. Have a look at your calendar. Which conferences generate clear motion objects? That are primarily about constructing relationships? Begin figuring out patterns.
Week 3-4: Pilot. Strive AI assistants in information-heavy conferences first—trainings, quarterly opinions, buyer calls.
Week 5-6: Set up ideas. Primarily based on what labored, create easy pointers on your crew. Not inflexible guidelines—simply shared understanding about when AI helps and when it doesn’t.
Ongoing: Iterate. As AI capabilities evolve from passive note-taking to lively participation, preserve refining your method. The aim isn’t perfection; it’s progress.
YOUR NEXT MEETING
Tomorrow, you’ll possible face the identical alternative hundreds of thousands of data staff face day by day: Ought to I add an AI notetaker to this assembly?
Now you could have a short framework for capturing all the pieces whereas defending what issues.
That’s additionally why Fireflies printed pointers for accountable AI assembly use. As a result of being intentional about privateness isn’t limiting AI—it’s utilizing it properly. The long run isn’t about selecting which conferences deserve AI—all of them do. It’s about having subtle sufficient controls to guard privateness whereas preserving data. Seize all the pieces. Share thoughtfully. Delete when applicable.
Krish Ramineni is CEO and cofounder of Fireflies.ai

