How to set up a meeting notes bot

You finish a meeting and realise nobody took notes. Two weeks later, everyone remembers the decisions differently.

Step by step

1. Check which meeting tool you already pay for; many include AI notes.
2. Turn on recording or transcription and the summary feature.
3. Tell attendees at the start that notes are being recorded.
4. After each meeting, check the action items and owners.
5. Copy actions into your task tool.
6. Delete recordings you no longer need.

Watch-outs

• Always tell people you're recording. Consent matters.
• Avoid recording sensitive client or staff conversations.
• Summaries can miss nuance; skim before you share.

A worked example

A small Adelaide architecture practice turns on Zoom's AI Companion meeting summaries. At the start of each meeting, the host says it's being recorded and summarised, and gives people the chance to object. After the call, the summary arrives by email with decisions and actions.

The host checks it, fixes anything wrong and forwards it to the team. Client meetings get the same treatment, with consent at the start.

What it costs in Australia

Zoom AI Companion, Microsoft Teams Copilot and Gemini in Google Meet are included in some business plans or available as add-ons; check what your current plan includes. Otter.ai has a free plan and paid plans; check its site for pricing. Calendly also offers a Notetaker add-on.

Prices are approx., October 2026, converted at about A$1.43 per US$1 where the vendor charges in US dollars. Your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.

The legal bits

Recording laws vary between states, and some require everyone's consent. The simplest rule: tell everyone at the start and get their agreement. Transcripts can include personal information about clients, so think about where they're stored and who can see them.

Privacy Act: if your chatbot or bot collects names, emails or phone numbers, that's personal information. Tell people what you collect and why, link your privacy policy, and know where your vendor stores the data (APP 8 covers sending personal information overseas). The Australian Privacy Principles apply to businesses turning over more than $3 million and to some smaller ones, such as health providers. Following them anyway is good practice and builds trust.

Is it worth it?

If you have more than a couple of meetings a week, especially with clients, yes. The summary is often more complete than hand-written notes. If your meetings are mostly quick on-site chats, a voice memo and a chat tool may be simpler.

Common mistakes

• Not telling people. Always announce that the meeting is being recorded and summarised.
• Sharing summaries without checking. AI can mishear names and numbers. Read it before you send it.
• Storing everything forever. Delete recordings you don't need. Less stored data means less risk.
• Inviting bots to sensitive meetings. Performance conversations, legal matters and health information are better without an AI notetaker.
• Leaving third-party bots on auto-join. Some tools join every meeting on your calendar. Check the settings so it only joins the ones you want.

Pick one recurring internal meeting to trial it for a month before using it with clients.

Questions

Does it work for phone calls?

Some tools do. Check the rules on recording calls in your state.

Where are recordings stored?

With the meeting tool's provider. Check their retention settings.

Do I need consent to record meetings?

Laws differ by state. Tell everyone and get their agreement before recording.

Is the AI summary accurate?

Mostly, but check names, numbers and action owners before you share it.

Do this today

Check whether your video meeting tool has an AI summary feature, and try it on your next internal meeting.

Related guides

• How to set up a document data entry bot
• How to set up a quote request bot
• How to set up a social inbox auto-reply bot

Need prompts for the AI steps? See 40 AI use cases with copyable prompts. Want a hand? Get in touch.