Google lets you ignore boring meetings with new AI trick
Technology
The tool will automatically transcribe a meeting, allowing users to focus on discussion
(Web Desk) - Google is launching a new AI feature that allows you to zone out during mind-numbing meetings.
The tech giant's aggressive rollout of its flagship Gemini AI has brought the technology to platforms like Gmail and YouTube.
Now the AI finds its way to Google Meet to power a note-taking and transcription feature.
An announcement on the Google Workspace Updates blog revealed that the tool will become available to select users starting this week.
It was previously limited to Google Workspace Labs, an invite-only program that beta tests features before their public release.
The tool, dubbed "take notes for me," will automatically transcribe a meeting, allowing users to focus on "discussion, collaboration, and presentation" instead.
The notes will be compiled into a Google Docs file and saved to the organizer's Google Drive account.
The document will then be attached to the corresponding Google Calendar event so participants can access it.
The meeting organizer and other users who enabled the feature will also receive an email with the notes.
If you're running late, the "summary so far" feature can recap everything you've missed.
Only participants within your organization will be able to access the notes. Otherwise, they will follow the data retention policy set by the organization.
Data retention rules differ from place to place. They dictate how an organization saves and deletes Google Workspace data.
The feature will be turned on by default for administrators, but users may need to enable it manually.
To do so, navigate to the top right corner of the screen and select "Take notes with Gemini."
Meeting participants will receive a notification that note-taking is taking place, similar to what happens when a meeting is being recorded.
While "take notes for me" is making its public debut, it will not be available for everyone.
Only Workspace customers with Gemini Enterprise, Gemini Education Premium, or AI Meetings and Messaging add-ons can use the tool.
"Take notes for me" launched on August 27 and is expected to reach all compatible accounts by September 10.
For now, the feature is only available on the desktop version of Google Meet.
Meetings must be conducted in spoken English, though Google is expected to expand accessibility in the coming months.
The company hopes users will be "more present and engaged" with the help of Gemini, "while still ensuring important information is captured for record-keeping and follow-up."
Additional details including set-up instructions are available on the Google blog.
