Manually typing out meeting notes is slow, error-prone, and distracting. While you’re typing, you’re likely missing parts of the discussion and contributing less. Worse, you might spend time afterward cleaning up notes instead of acting on them.
In fact, employees estimate that 37% of their biggest cost is wasted time in meetings, and context-switching after interruptions takes an average of 9 minutes to recover from. Manual notetaking multiplies both problems.
Figure: A poorly, handwritten reminder note
AI transcription tools like Read AI, Otter.ai, and Fireflies.ai handle notetaking for you, with:
| Feature | Read AI | Otter.ai | Fireflies.ai |
| Real-time Transcription | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| AI Meeting Summary | ✅ Yes (Detailed, Topic-based) | ✅ Yes (Concise) | ✅ Yes (Customizable) |
| Action Item Detection | ✅ Yes (AI-powered) | ✅ Yes (Keyword-based) | ✅ Yes (AI-powered) |
| Talk Time % Analysis | ✅ Yes (With engagement metrics) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (Talk/Listen Ratio) |
| Speaker Coaching/Feedback | ✅ Yes | 🟠 Limited | 🟠 Limited |
| Automated Email Summary | ✅ Yes (Integrated with GMail/Outlook) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Key Integrations | Zoom, Teams, Meet, Calendar | Zoom, Teams, Meet, Calendar | Zoom, Teams, Meet, Calendar, CRMs |
| Primary Strength | Meeting Insights & Coaching | Core Transcription & Simplicity | Integrations & Customization |
Figure: Otter.ai summary card with transcript, action items, and outline
Important: Always inform attendees if the call is being recorded or transcribed. Consent is required in most regions.
Let AI do the heavy lifting so you can stay present, contribute more, and act faster after the meeting.