Google Meet is leveraging artificial intelligence to transform meetings into a searchable knowledge repository, aiming to capture the "dark energy of business" that often vanishes after discussions conclude, according to a company executive. The initiative seeks to address the problem of lost information and decision-making context that typically occurs in meetings.

The company believes that critical intellectual property is generated during meetings, including insights into leadership trade-offs, decision-making rationales, and the resolution of objections. While companies meticulously document strategy, the actual decision-making process, often more valuable, remains largely uncaptured. Google Meet's AI aims to preserve these nuances, turning meetings into organizational assets.

"The IP of leadership happens in the meeting room. And then it's gone," the executive stated, highlighting the ephemeral nature of crucial discussions. The new AI-powered features aim to combat the loss of decisions, fading commitments, and repetitive debates caused by forgotten details.

By transcribing and analyzing meeting content, Google Meet intends to make conversations usable beyond the meeting itself. This functionality builds upon the precedent set by email, which transformed situational communication into organizational working memory. The goal is to provide a comprehensive record of not just what was decided, but also how and why.

The move comes as businesses increasingly seek to improve productivity and knowledge management. The market for AI-powered meeting tools is growing, with companies like Otter.ai and Microsoft also offering similar features. Google's entry into this space could further accelerate adoption and drive innovation. The financial impact of this initiative remains to be seen, but analysts suggest that improved knowledge retention and decision-making could lead to significant cost savings and increased efficiency for businesses.