AI Notetakers Change How Much Women Versus Men Talk In Meetings
AI Notetakers Change How Much Women Versus Men Talk In Meetings
Publish Date: 2026-02-26 08:30:00
Source Domain: www.forbes.com
How can organizations address men’s tendency to dominate airtime in workplace meetings? A 2026 study finds that using an AI notetaker results in women talking more (and men talking less), which can facilitate better meeting outcomes.
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Workplace meetings are welcoming a new guest to the table: artificial intelligence notetakers. AI notetakers can transcribe, summarize and analyze meetings held on a range of platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.
AI notetakers may seem invisible to meeting participants. But a 2026 report by researchers at Read AI finds that the presence of AI notetakers in meetings can significantly impact gender power dynamics. Unlike in typical meetings where men tend to dominate, women speak more (and men speak less) in the presence of AI.
Reducing gender disparities in meeting airtime matters because speaking time is often equated to leadership and influence, regardless of content. Teams also produce better outcomes with broader member participation.
The 2026 study found that the presence of AI notetakers changes some, but not all, gender imbalances in workplace meetings. These findings highlight additional steps that business leaders should take to further level the meeting playing field.
Women Speak More In Meetings With AI Notetakers
Workplace meetings are often driven by power dynamics. Perceived power influences who speaks and for how long, whose contributions are taken seriously, and whose ideas wield influence. Power derives not just from organizational roles and status. Gender also plays a role in meeting power dynamics.
Numerous studies have found that men tend to speak earlier, longer and more often than women in workplace meetings. The gender disparity in average speaking time is particularly large when men outnumber women in a meeting.
Do these gender dynamics change when an AI notetaker joins the meeting? According to new data, AI flips the script.
Read AI’s 2026 study found that the gender imbalance in meeting…
