Check the notes before you share them

Why this matters: AI meeting notes can get people wrong. Once they're emailed out, the notes become what "happened".

The prompt (copy and paste)

Use this with a meeting transcript you're allowed to share with your AI tool.

Write short notes from the meeting transcript below.
Use only what people actually said.
For each decision or action, quote the line it came from.
Only list an action if a named person clearly agreed to do it.
If something is unclear, put it under "To check".
Don't guess what people meant or how they felt.

Transcript:
[paste transcript]

Before and after

This story was shared on LinkedIn by Ed Halsey (post). It's one person's story, not a study.

What he said in the meeting:

"Once Barry's back, I need to work out what he has capacity for."

What the AI notes said, sent out automatically while Barry was on holiday:

"Ed has concerns about Barry's ability to fulfill this task."

He said he needed to check Barry's workload. The notes turned that into doubt about Barry. His lesson: "AI doesn't summarise what you said. It summarises what it thinks you meant."

After, using the prompt above:

To check: Barry's capacity, once he's back from leave. Ed raised it. No owner agreed yet.

Check it (3 things)

1. Names. Is every person named in the notes right, and spelled right? Were they really there?
2. Who said yes. Does every action have an owner who actually agreed to it out loud? If not, move it to "To check".
3. Feelings. Does the summary say someone was "concerned" or "unhappy"? Find the exact words in the transcript. If you can't, cut it.

One more: if your notes tool sends recaps by itself, turn that off. Read first, then share.

Do this now

Open the last AI meeting summary you got. Pick one action item. Find the line in the recording or transcript where that person said yes.