Whether or not your association has a policy on AI notetaking, it is undoubtably happening in your board and committee meetings. AI notetakers are notorious for inviting themselves to meetings even when their “owner” is absent. How can you guarantee your association’s confidentiality is upheld while benefiting from the efficiencies AI provides?

It’s important to create guardrails by setting and enforcing policies around using AI in meetings. Association staff should help the board define the policies, ensure the policies are clearly communicated to all volunteers, and then enforce the policies in all official meetings. Use the following checklist to maintain the necessary governance of this new technology and continue to review and revise your policies as necessary.

1. Is AI invited to the meeting?
   Start by defining whether an AI notetaker can be used at all. There should be clear guidance for each type of meeting: board, executive session, committee, etc. Some meetings may require a higher level of confidentiality than others.
2. Who brings the AI notetaker?
   In most cases, it’s best to assign a staff person to control the AI notetaker and remove all other notetakers from the meeting. This ensures that the association controls what information is shared and with whom.
3. Which notetaker should be used?
   Generally, governance-grade tools built specifically for boards will have higher levels of protections than free apps. Your association should determine if investing in a specific AI notetaking tool is a priority.
4. What happens to the notes?
   It is important to keep humans in the loop. AI notes are often inaccurate and can even generate hallucinations. Depending on the level of the meeting, a staff member or even legal counsel may be asked to review the accuracy of the record. In addition, AI tends to create very detailed records. Many associations may find it more valuable to provide a succinct summary of the meeting to members. Once the official record of the meeting has been prepared, all source files should be deleted. There should be only one official set of minutes to avoid confusion.
5. How do you ensure transparency?
   Most tools will display a message to everyone in the meeting that notes are being taken by AI. It’s a good idea to announce this at the beginning of the meeting as well, so participants are aware and can ask questions about the policy if needed.
6. How do you ensure compliance?
   Following the rules starts with knowing the rules. It is up to staff to communicate policies to volunteer leaders and to follow the policies when in meetings. An audit should be conducted periodically to verify the notes are taken, and documents are filed or destroyed, according to policy.

For associations, it’s not a matter of whether AI will be used for meetings, but how. AI can significantly improve the speed and accuracy of notetaking and reduce the administrative burden on staff. But organizations need clear guidelines to realize the benefits while managing the risks. Associations must ensure their boards adopt clear policies for AI use in the context of official association business. When handled correctly, AI will uphold the confidentiality of meetings while supporting stronger, better-documented governance.