What is a meeting bot? How it works, and the bot-free alternative

How a meeting bot works

1. You connect your calendar to the bot's app.
2. When a meeting starts, the bot joins under its own name, like another guest.
3. It records or transcribes what's said.
4. Afterwards, it sends you the transcript and a summary.

Apps like Otter and Fireflies work this way: their assistant joins your Zoom, Teams or Meet calls. Both also have a desktop app for taking notes without a bot.

The good and the bad

The good:

• It can join a meeting even when you're not there.
• You don't need to install anything on your computer.

The bad:

• Everyone sees it. An extra participant named after a recorder changes the conversation, especially with clients or on sensitive topics.
• Sometimes someone has to let it in from the waiting room, or the meeting doesn't allow it.
• It only works in the apps it knows, usually Zoom, Meet and Teams; not on a WhatsApp call.
• It usually records the meeting and keeps it on its servers.

The alternative: bot-free notes

Bot-free apps run on your computer and listen to the microphone and the call's sound. Nobody new joins the meeting, and they work with any call app.

That's how Loro works: if you connect Google Calendar it reminds you a minute before; with one click it listens from your computer and, when you hang up, gives you the note with the topics and each person's next steps. The audio is never stored. Other bot-free apps are Granola, Jamie and Wispr Flow (with its Notetaker).

Bot or no bot, tell people

No bot doesn't mean no notice. Say at the start that you're taking notes: it's the right thing to do and, in many places, what the law asks.