AI or Traditional Minutes? Rethinking How We Capture Board Meetings.

Board meetings are where key decisions are made. They shape the future of the organisation, set priorities, and hold management to account. But how we record those decisions is changing quickly.

Many boards are now experimenting with AI-generated meeting transcripts, using them to supplement or even replace traditional minutes. The technology is advancing fast, raising an important question:

Does this improve governance, or introduce new risks?

Many boards are now experimenting with AI-generated meeting transcripts, using them to supplement or even replace traditional minutes.

The Promise of AI

There’s no doubt that AI offers practical benefits for board administration.

Speed: AI tools can transcribe full meetings in seconds.

Depth: They capture tone, context, and every word — not just summaries.

Efficiency: They allow a focus on analysis rather than note-taking.

Searchability: The resulting transcript becomes a searchable record, making it easy to revisit decisions or commitments.

Insights: Some tools can even detect recurring themes, summarise sentiment, or highlight overdue actions.

Used well, AI can enhance transparency and save time, particularly in complex organisations where documentation demands are high.

The Risks to Consider

However, governance is built on trust, process, and context — and that’s where AI presents challenges.

Accuracy: While AI captures every word, it doesn’t always interpret meaning correctly. Subtle points or qualified statements can be misread. Plus it can still be prone to hallucinations.

Confidentiality: Recording and storing full meeting audio raises privacy and security concerns. Who owns the data? Where is it stored? Who can access it?

Context: Good governance records why decisions were made, not just what was said. A transcript without context can easily misrepresent intent.

Culture: When every word is recorded, people may be less open or more cautious, which can limit the quality of discussion.

Disclosure: Is there a risk if full transcripts need to be disclosed?

In short, AI introduces both convenience and complexity.

Some tools can even detect recurring themes, summarise sentiment, or highlight overdue actions.

Finding the Balance

Boards now face a practical question: Should AI be a tool within governance, or a replacement for traditional practices?

The most balanced approach may be to use AI as an aid, not a substitute. AI can provide raw transcripts to support accuracy, while human judgment ensures context, tone, and governance integrity remain intact.

The Human Element Still Matters

Technology will continue to change how boards operate. But at its core, governance remains a human discipline — about judgement, ethics, and shared accountability.

So before switching to AI minutes, boards should ask:

What purpose do our minutes serve?

Who reads them?

What risks could a full transcript introduce?

How will this affect trust and candour in the boardroom?

AI can make governance smarter and faster. But the wisdom still lies in how people think, challenge, and decide together.

AI or Traditional Minutes? Rethinking How We Capture Board Meetings.