Younger Workers Are Skipping Meetings and Trusting AI to Take Notes

TL;DR: Research from Software Finder reveals 19% of workers now frequently use AI note-taking tools for meetings, with 29% admitting they’ve skipped meetings entirely, leaving AI to capture proceedings. Hybrid workers are twice as likely to adopt AI note-takers, with users reporting higher salaries and more frequent promotions—though concerns about nuance, privacy, and overreliance persist.

Younger workers are increasingly favouring AI note-taking tools over attending meetings in person, with many saying this allows them to focus on work that matters. The trend raises questions about workplace engagement, meeting culture, and the appropriate boundaries for AI assistance in professional settings.

Adoption Patterns and Demographics

New research from Software Finder found one-fifth (19%) of workers now frequently use AI tools to take meeting notes, with hybrid workers (26%) twice as likely to adopt them compared with in-person employees (13%).

Generation Z workers are leading the shift: 43% of Gen Z respondents admitted to skipping meetings and relying on AI, compared to 30% of millennials. This generational divide suggests younger workers are more comfortable delegating meeting attendance to automated systems.

Benefits and Career Impact

Workers identified several key advantages:

  • Time savings (69%)
  • Reduced manual note-taking (41%)
  • Improved record accuracy (27%)

More striking are the indirect career benefits. Software Finder’s study found frequent AI note-takers are more likely to receive promotions (28%) than their counterparts (15%), whilst also earning higher average salaries ($86,000 vs $67,700).

Workers reported saving over an hour each week by using AI note-takers—time that can be redirected to higher-value activities or reducing workload pressure.

Persistent Concerns

Despite the benefits, substantial concerns remain:

  • Inaccuracy and loss of nuance (48%)
  • Privacy concerns (46%)
  • Data security risks (42%)
  • Misinterpretation of tone or intent (32%)
  • Overreliance on AI (25%)

The overreliance concern appears validated: 87% of users admitted their workload would increase if AI note-takers stopped working, suggesting meaningful dependency has developed.

Meeting Type Suitability

Not all meetings are equally suited to AI note-taking. Respondents identified appropriate and inappropriate contexts:

Most suitable for AI:

  • Brainstorming sessions (53%)
  • Project status updates (45%)
  • Strategic planning meetings (43%)

Better with human presence:

  • Training and onboarding (39%)
  • Team check-ins (37%)

This suggests workers are making nuanced judgements about when AI assistance is appropriate versus when human presence adds irreplaceable value.

The Broader Implications

The data presents a complex picture. On one hand, AI note-taking enables workers to cut administrative work and focus on creative output, potentially improving productivity and career outcomes. The correlation between AI adoption and both promotions and higher salaries suggests real professional advantages.

On the other hand, the trend towards skipping meetings entirely raises questions about collaborative culture, relationship building, and the subtle information exchange that occurs through in-person presence—tone, body language, spontaneous discussion, and relationship development.

Looking Forward

The shift towards AI-mediated meeting participation appears likely to accelerate, particularly among younger workers entering the workforce with established AI comfort. However, organisations will need to navigate this carefully to preserve collaboration benefits whilst capturing AI efficiency gains.

Key questions remain:

  • How do teams maintain cohesion when some members are physically absent?
  • What meeting information does AI capture versus what gets lost?
  • Where should organisations draw boundaries around AI delegation?
  • How do career development and relationship building function when physical presence decreases?

For businesses, the challenge lies in establishing clear guidelines that balance productivity gains against collaboration needs—recognising that not all meetings deliver equal value, but not all meeting value comes from the official agenda.

The 87% of users who acknowledge dependency on AI note-takers suggests this technology has already become embedded in workflow structures. The question is no longer whether AI will play a role in meeting participation, but how organisations can structure that role appropriately.

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