12 min read

Notes That Help You Later (Not During)

Before you press record: the 10-second announcement

Three out of four professionals use an AI note-taker in 2026. That doesn't mean three out of four obtained consent.

In 13 U.S. states, recording a conversation without all-party consent is illegal — and in some, it's a felony. The list as of 2026: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Washington. If even one participant is dialing in from one of those states, you need consent from everyone.

How to handle it without making it weird

A 10-second announcement is all it takes:

"Heads up — I have an AI note-taker running for my notes today. It transcribes the audio and I'll get a summary after. Anyone want me to turn it off?"

Three practical rules:

Always announce it. Even outside strict-consent states, it builds trust.

If anyone says no, turn it off. No exceptions. Take manual notes.

Never enable it for HR conversations, legal discussions, client-confidential info, salary, or anything covered by an NDA. When in doubt, leave it off.

This isn't legal advice — check your company's policy. But your company's policy almost certainly says the same things: get consent, respect "no," and never put sensitive content into AI you haven't been cleared to use. Texas (HB 149, in effect since January 2026) and California (SB 942, taking effect August 2026) both add AI disclosure requirements on top of consent law. The trend is toward more consent, not less.

Now — about your notes

The single biggest mistake people make is treating notes like a transcript. The point of taking notes isn't to capture what was said. It's to capture what you'll need later.

A useful note has three columns, even if you're only writing them in your head:

Decisions — what was agreed (and by whom)

Actions — what needs to happen, who owns it, by when

Open — what wasn't resolved, what needs follow-up

If a line in the meeting doesn't fit one of those three buckets, you probably don't need to write it down.

The meta-question to ask during any meeting: "If I had to explain this meeting to my future self in one sentence, what would I say?" Whatever that sentence is — that's what to capture. Everything else is noise.

Quick Check

You're hosting a 1:1 with a direct report. They're based in California; you're in New York. Your conferencing tool offers to record and transcribe. What's the right move?