I don't know who needs to hear this, but: inviting an unaffiliated third party to record and transcribe your meetings is most likely a bad idea.

If you work in finance, legal, or risk, this is hardly news. But thanks to the widespread availability of note-taker apps, there are plenty of people who are new to this space and aren't as familiar with the concerns.

Committing a conversation to a permanent record is a Big Deal™ and you want to be careful about adding AI transcription bots to the mix.

Why so?

▶️ We have laws about when and how you have to notify participants about a recording.

▶️ In those cases when a discussion is to be recorded, attorneys are present to make sure only the right words make it to tape.

▶️ AI-based transcription further complicates matters. Transcription bots may mangle your words. (That's if there's even a bot involved. At least one AI transcription company allegedly had people doing the work.) They also open the door to other people getting access to those discussions. Sometimes without you knowing.

This New York Times article provides more detail.

All in all: I talk a lot about AI-related risks. And AI-based transcription creates a large and vastly under-appreciated risk exposure.

Before you reach for that note-taker bot, ask yourself:

Does this discussion really merit space on the permanent record?

Do I really need a bot taking notes for me to review later? Or do I want to take notes now , in real-time, so I can be engaged with the call?