A recent survey of 500 employed US adults found that one in three workers have had AI notetakers present in their meetings. However, only 34.7% of these workers reported being asked for permission before the AI tool recorded or transcribed the meeting. This raises concerns about consent and privacy in the workplace.

Consent and Recording Laws

The survey also found that many workers are unaware of the laws surrounding recording meetings. Only 35% of workers knew that some states, including California, require every participant’s consent before a conversation can be recorded. Nearly 42% of workers had no idea that recording laws applied to work meetings at all.

The issue of consent is not limited to AI notetakers. Nearly 1 in 5 workers surveyed reported discovering after the fact that a meeting or call had been recorded or transcribed without their knowledge. This has led to legal action, with a federal class action against Otter.ai alleging that meetings were recorded and transcribed without the consent of all participants in violation of California privacy law.

For companies deploying AI notetakers, the survey suggests that the safest assumption is to ask for permission before recording or transcribing meetings. This is especially important for companies operating across multiple states, as privacy laws can vary by jurisdiction.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.