This article is part of a series exploring how AI will transform our work lives. While most discussions about AI highlight automation and efficiency, we’re shifting our focus to something more inspiring. AI won’t just change how we work; it will reshape how we experience our workday. Each article in this series shines a spotlight on a practical, future-focused role AI might play.
Meetings are vital. They’re where we make decisions, shape ideas, and align as teams. But let’s face it: meetings can be inefficient and are often dominated by the loudest voices in the room. AI technologies like Copilot, Gemini, and ChatGPT are stepping in to help change that. Here’s how.
AI as a meeting participant: Your new teammate
Picture the scene: your day is filled with back-to-back meetings, which requires a lot of context switching. But that doesn’t faze you, because every time you hop onto a Teams call, Copilot has already laid out the meeting agenda based on your recent conversations and emails. It has flagged important points to cover, and, in real-time during the call, suggests missing perspectives and recalls relevant insights from previous discussions to keep the conversation focused.
This is the reality of AI as an active meeting participant. And it won’t end there.
Paired with intelligent speaker recognition on Teams-certified devices, AI can accurately capture who’s speaking, making sure even quiet voices are heard clearly. Using advanced voice modes available in compatible headsets, you will even be able to have seamless conversations with AI, quickly checking facts or discretely asking questions without breaking the flow of the meeting.
These will be meetings, but super-charged.
From passive assistant to helpful facilitator
Right now, AI in meetings often tackles routine tasks like transcribing conversations, summarizing discussions, and organizing follow-ups.
The exciting next step will see AI actively support conversations. For example, embedded tools like Copilot will notice when the conversation drifts off-topic or stalls and gently suggest new directions or relevant points to bring everyone back on track.
For hybrid teams, AI will recognize when remote participants aren’t getting a chance to speak up and discreetly prompt meeting organizers to encourage their input (LLMs like Gemini are already experimenting with these features). By picking up on subtle cues like hesitations or long silences, AI will help to ensure everyone’s voice is heard, making meetings more inclusive, no matter where participants are located.
An equal voice at the table
Meetings sometimes favor those who speak most rather than those with the most insightful contributions. AI can help balance things out by consistently bringing objective data into conversations. For instance, it can instantly pull up relevant past case studies, market research, or customer feedback, transforming conversations from opinion-driven to insight-rich.
In strategic meetings, Copilot can quickly access proprietary knowledge from SharePoint to carry out real-time competitor analyses or industry benchmarks, helping teams make well-informed decisions without missing crucial information.
Subtle nudges for better participation
Meetings aren’t just about information but social events with complex dynamics. AI can subtly help manage these dynamics by keeping track of who’s participating and gently encouraging quieter members with private prompts.
If discussions start circling around the same points, AI tools can proactively suggest new angles, ensuring the conversation stays fresh and productive.
Welcome to Collaboration 2.0
Integrating AI into meetings won’t replace the human touch, far from it. Instead, it will empower us to spend less time on making sure we’re having a good meeting, allowing us to focus our energy on creativity, innovation, and strategic thinking – tasks that our research shows are the workforce’s biggest productivity boosters.
