In Google’s Keynote earlier this year, they introduced a new feature for Google Meet called Gemini. This AI-powered tool has been created to provide real-time transcription and note-taking, along with smart AI-summaries.

Gemini is currently in a gradual rollout and is expected to enhance productivity for many users. In this blog, we’ll explore what Gemini offers, its strengths and limitations, and some alternatives that might suit specific business needs better.

Table of Contents

What is Gemini?

Gemini is the Google Meet integrated AI-feature to create automatic meeting notes. The product has promised to improve productivity by offering a number of features –

Real-Time Transcription – The tool will be able to attend and automatically transcribe the meeting into written text. This then allows participants to review the conversation later on. According to Google it can generate different creative text formats, and complex questioning.

Automatic Note-Taking – Attendees can concentrate on their meetings at Gemini automatically take notes and highlight key points and action items as they are talked about in the meeting. Gemini boasts the ability to note things and then logically structure them.

AI-Summarization – Following the end of a meeting, Gemini can take the meeting notes and transcription and create a quick explanation of what happened, when and who said it, along with any key points. This is useful for a quick guide to what happened, along with being able to loop in people who weren’t able to attend the meeting.

Integration with Google Workspace – As a Google product, this means that Gemini integrates directly with your Google Workspace. It can also communicate with Gmail, Drive and Docs, making it easy to access as all notes are stored in Drive so people can easily find them.

How to Use Gemini


To get the most out of Gemini’s AI-powered note-taking and transcription, follow these steps to activate and manage the tool’s features during and after your Google Meet session.

Join a Google Meet Session


Ensure you are logged in with an account that has access to Google Workspace Labs features, as Gemini is currently rolling out to specific Workspace tiers. This account requirement is essential for accessing Gemini’s advanced features, including automatic transcription, note-taking, and summarization.

1. Access Gemini’s Features


Once in the meeting interface, locate the “Activities” button in the bottom-right corner. This button hosts several tools, including recording and note-taking options. Click on Activities to open the menu.

2. Select “Meeting Notes”


From the menu, choose “Meeting notes.” This action opens Gemini’s note-taking settings. Here, you can enable automatic note-taking by clicking on “Take notes for me.” Gemini will then start capturing key discussion points, action items, and decisions in real-time, so you can focus on the conversation without needing to take manual notes.

3. AI-Powered Transcription


If you want Gemini to transcribe the entire meeting verbatim, ensure transcription is enabled. Gemini will transcribe the spoken words in real-time, allowing participants to review the full conversation afterward. This feature is especially helpful for meetings with complex discussions or detailed instructions, as it captures everything said.

4. End of Meeting Summary


At the end of the meeting, Gemini automatically generates a summary based on the notes and transcription. This summary captures the main discussion points, decisions, and action items, and can be useful for quick reviews or sharing with team members who couldn’t attend.

5. Review and Edit Notes


After the meeting, you can access and edit the notes in Google Docs or Google Drive. Simply go to your Drive folder (usually saved under “Meet Notes” or a designated Google Workspace folder), where you’ll find Gemini’s notes organized by meeting date and time. Here, you can make any necessary adjustments for clarity or emphasis and then share the document with others as needed.

6. Sharing and Collaboration


Gemini’s notes are saved in a Google Doc format, allowing you to share them with colleagues for further collaboration. You can control permissions to allow view-only access or enable editing, ensuring that team members can easily update or expand on the notes if needed.

How to Record on Google Meet


To record a meeting in Google Meet, follow these steps:

  1. Open Google Meet and join or start a meeting.
  2. Click on the “Activities” button in the lower right corner.
  3. Select “Recording” and click “Start recording.” A notification will inform participants that the meeting is being recorded.
  4. To stop recording, return to the “Activities” menu, select “Stop recording,” and the recording will automatically save to Google Drive under “Meet Recordings” in the host’s account.

For more details, take a look at our piece on how to record with Google Meet.

How to Take Notes with Gemini on Google Meet

To use Gemini in Google Meet, follow these steps –

  1. Open Google Meet on your computer.
  2. Join or start a new meeting. Ensure that you are signed in with an account that has access to Google Workspace Labs features.
  3. Access Gemini Features –
    – In the meeting interface, click on the “Activities” button located in the bottom-right corner.
    – Select “Meeting notes” from the menu.
    – Click “Take notes for me” to enable automatic note-taking.
  4. Review and Edit Notes –
    – After the meeting, you can review the notes generated by Gemini.
    – Edit the notes as needed to ensure accuracy and completeness.
    – Share the notes with meeting participants via Google Docs or Google Drive.

Google Meet AI Notes

Gemini’s Google Meet AI note-taking feature aims to capture key points and action items in real-time, structuring them into coherent notes that participants can review post-meeting. Designed to help teams stay focused, Gemini automatically highlights significant topics and summarizes the flow of conversation. This can reduce the need for manual note-taking and minimize the risk of missing critical information.

However, as with any automated system, Gemini’s AI notes may not always capture context perfectly or distinguish between essential and minor points with complete accuracy—particularly in complex or highly technical discussions. It’s often beneficial for participants to review and refine the AI-generated notes afterward to ensure they accurately reflect the meeting’s intent and outcomes. This approach helps to balance the convenience of automation with the need for precision, making Gemini a valuable tool for meeting documentation that may still benefit from a final human touch.

How to Transcribe a Google Meet

To enable transcription for a Google Meet:

  1. In Google Meet, click on the “Activities” button.
  2. Select “Transcribe,” then start the meeting to enable real-time transcription.
  3. Transcripts will automatically save to Google Drive, allowing participants to review the conversation or extract quotes as needed.

Where Do Google Meet Recordings Go?

When a Google Meet session is recorded, the recording is automatically saved to the host’s Google Drive in a designated folder labeled “Meet Recordings.” This storage location makes it easy for the host to access and manage recordings, especially for recurring meetings or sessions that require thorough documentation.

For participants, access to the Google Meet recording depends on the permissions set by the host. After the meeting, the host can share a link to the recording with attendees, who can then view, download, or save the recording to their own drives if allowed. 

Recording links are also accessible directly in Google Calendar events associated with the meeting, making it convenient for those who missed the session to catch up.

How to Access and Download Google Meet Recordings

For Hosts: Go to Google Drive, locate the “Meet Recordings” folder, and select the recording. You can download it to your device or share it directly with others.

For Participants: If the host has shared the recording link, simply click on the link to access it in Google Drive. Depending on permissions, you can view, download, or copy the recording to your own Drive.

For a detailed guide on finding and managing Google Meet recordings, including tips on downloading and sharing them, check out this blog post on where Google Meet recordings go, which covers the process step-by-step and offers additional insights on recording management.

How to Enable Auto Record on Google Meet

To set up automatic recording on Google Meet:

  1. Open Google Meet and access your meeting settings.
  2. Under recording options, enable “Auto record.”
  3. This feature may require admin privileges and is available in certain Google Workspace plans.
  4. Participants will be notified at the start of the recording.

How to Enable Auto Transcribe on Google Meet

Enabling auto-transcription allows Gemini to transcribe all spoken content:

  1. Go to your Google Meet settings.
  2. Enable “Auto-transcribe” in the transcription options.
  3. Transcriptions are saved in Google Drive for easy access and sharing post-meeting.

How to Enable Auto Note-Taking on Google Meet


To set up automatic note-taking in Google Meet:

  1. Open Google Meet and join a meeting.
  2. Select the “Activities” button, then “Meeting notes.”
  3. Enable “Auto note-taking” to capture notes automatically throughout the session.

How to Get Consent to Record on Google Meet


For compliance and best practices, always notify participants before recording. Google Meet provides an on-screen notification, but for extra assurance, ask for verbal or written consent before starting any recording, especially if external clients or sensitive topics are involved.

How to Turn Off Google Gemini

To disable Google Gemini’s AI features (like automatic transcription and note-taking) in Google Meet, you can turn off these settings individually during a meeting or through the admin console if you manage Google Workspace for an organization.

For Individual Users


If you want to turn off Gemini’s features while in a meeting:

  1. Open Activities Menu: In the Google Meet interface, click the “Activities” button at the bottom right.
  2. Disable AI Note-Taking: Select “Meeting notes,” then deselect “Take notes for me” to turn off automatic note-taking for that meeting.
  3. Turn Off Transcription: If transcription is active, you may see an option within “Activities” to stop automatic transcription.

These changes will apply only to your current session.

For Administrators (Google Workspace)


If you are a Google Workspace admin and want to disable Gemini’s features organization-wide:

  1. Access the Admin Console: Go to the Google Admin Console.
  2. Navigate to Google Meet Settings: Go to Apps > Google Workspace > Google Meet.
  3. Adjust Gemini Settings: Find the Gemini Settings or AI Note-Taking options. Toggle off features like Automatic Note-Taking or Automatic Transcription to prevent these from being available during any meetings within your organization.
  4. Save Changes: Ensure you save these changes so that Gemini’s features are disabled across all user accounts in your organization.

How to Switch Back to Google Assistant from Gemini


Google offers two AI-driven assistants, Google Assistant and Gemini, each designed for different types of interactions.

Google Assistant is a voice-activated assistant that is all about quick, task-focused commands, like setting reminders, controlling smart home devices, and retrieving information.

Gemini, on the other hand, is built for more in-depth, conversational interactions, making it better suited for complex queries, content generation, and creative tasks.

If you prefer Google Assistant’s straightforward functionality and ease of use, you can switch back by following these steps:

Open Device Settings: Go to the Settings app on your Android device.

Navigate to Google Settings: Scroll down and tap on Google.

Select Google Assistant Settings: Tap Settings for Google Apps and choose Search, Assistant & Voice.

Set Google Assistant as Default: Under Default Assistant App or Digital Assistant App, select Google Assistant from the available options.

Confirm the Change: Follow any prompts to confirm, restoring Google Assistant as your primary digital assistant.

How Much Does Gemini Cost?


Pricing for Gemini: Gemini is included in select Google Workspace plans, though it may require an upgrade for access to premium features. Pricing can vary based on the plan, so check Google Workspace for details on Gemini’s availability in your package.

Controversy Around Google Meet

With the introduction of Gemini and similar AI-driven tools, Google Meet has sparked both excitement and significant debate, particularly around privacy and data security. While Gemini’s AI-powered note-taking and transcription features promise improved productivity, they also introduce complex issues around data handling, user consent, and corporate influence.

Privacy Concerns with AI-Powered Transcription and Note-Taking

Gemini’s AI note-taking and transcription functionalities involve recording, transcribing, and summarizing conversations in real-time. This capability raises critical questions about the privacy of sensitive discussions—especially in sectors like healthcare, finance, and law, where confidentiality is paramount. Participants in these meetings may worry that their conversations are stored, analyzed, or even accessed by Google for improvement of the AI, sparking debates around user control over their own data.

Google’s Data Storage and Handling Practices

Google, as one of the world’s largest tech companies, has a history of accumulating vast amounts of data on its users. While Google claims that user data is stored securely and with a focus on privacy, the sheer scale of Google’s reach means that even seemingly benign data, like meeting transcriptions or AI-generated summaries, could contribute to a larger data pool that fuels Google’s AI training and development. For many, this raises concerns about where their data goes, how long it is retained, and whether Google uses it beyond what’s strictly necessary for Google Meet functionality.

Compliance with Organizational and Regional Regulations

As companies across various regions use Google Meet, Google faces the challenge of complying with privacy regulations such as the GDPR in Europe or CCPA in California. These regulations require stringent data protection and privacy measures, but it remains unclear how Google ensures compliance across all regions where Gemini is available. Organizations need to be aware of these regulatory requirements and consider whether the data collection practices align with their own compliance standards. This can place additional administrative burdens on businesses, especially those handling sensitive information.

Corporate Influence and Monopoly Concerns

Google’s substantial influence in the tech industry has led to ongoing conversations around corporate dominance and market monopolization. With tools like Gemini, Google is solidifying its position not only as a search engine or cloud service provider but also as an AI-driven workspace ecosystem. For businesses and consumers, this can create a dependency on Google’s products, potentially limiting access to diverse alternatives. Google’s power to shape how millions conduct virtual meetings—and the data that results from them—raises questions about fair competition and whether smaller companies can realistically compete with Google’s integrated and increasingly AI-driven environment.

Transparency and User Consent

One of the biggest concerns around AI tools like Gemini is transparency. Although Google has made strides to improve its privacy policies, there remains a need for clearer, more accessible information on how Gemini’s AI interacts with user data. For instance:

  • How is consent managed for all meeting participants, especially in cross-organizational meetings?
  • Are users fully informed about how their conversations might be used for machine learning or AI development?

These questions underline the need for clear opt-in processes and explicit user agreements for Gemini’s AI tools, especially in settings where participants may not be familiar with Google Meet’s privacy protocols. Additionally, even with security measures in place, some users remain wary of Google’s ultimate intentions with this data, especially given Google’s financial interest in developing AI products.

User Control Over Data

Many users and organizations are calling for more robust control over their data, such as the ability to easily delete transcriptions or recordings after a meeting. Google Meet currently allows hosts to delete meeting recordings from their Drive, but users have limited options for managing or removing AI-generated notes and transcriptions. Increased user control over Gemini’s data handling could mitigate some privacy concerns, allowing individuals to decide how long their data is retained or whether it’s used to improve Google’s AI models.

Inaccurate and Offensive Image Generation

One of the earliest and most publicized controversies involved Gemini’s image generation capabilities, which came under fire for producing historically inaccurate and offensive images. These included depictions of Black Vikings, Asian women in German World War II-era military uniforms, and even a female Pope. These outputs sparked widespread criticism, with prominent voices questioning the AI’s programming and training data. Google promptly apologized and temporarily paused Gemini’s ability to generate images of people, acknowledging that the AI’s training to reflect a “range of people” had led to unintended, misleading portrayals in certain contexts.

Public Criticism from High-Profile Figures

Critics like Nate Silver and Elon Musk weighed in on the controversy, with Silver calling for Gemini to be shut down, citing concerns over the AI’s responses to controversial prompts. In one instance, when prompted to evaluate the impact of figures like Adolf Hitler compared to Musk, Gemini failed to provide a clear moral judgment, which some users found troubling. Musk, who also has a stake in AI through his company xAI, argued that Gemini’s issues highlight a “racist, anti-civilizational programming” embedded within Google’s AI systems, which he claims extends to Google’s search algorithms as well. Musk went as far as to say that these biases could influence critical information, potentially affecting areas as significant as political elections.

Balancing Convenience with Privacy

While Gemini brings undeniable convenience, it prompts users to balance these benefits against potential privacy risks. For many organizations, Gemini’s capabilities will offer time-saving and productivity-enhancing features. However, the trade-off is entrusting a significant amount of data to a company already criticized for data collection practices. Users and organizations may need to carefully weigh the value of AI-driven insights against the importance of data autonomy and privacy.

Why Gemini Might Not Be Enough

Google is such a large company it has become synonymous with the Internet, and while Gemini is being lorded as an amazing new innovation, it’s still very new and may have some limitations

Accuracy – As a new feature, even backed by the might of Google, they will likely still be in the early stages of accuracy. This means that the AI might misinterpret spoken words, potentially recording inaccuracies. This can be a big issue if you are dealing with technical jargon, or a very large meeting with multiple speakers.

Availability – Gemini is being slowly rolled out as part of Google Workplace Labs, but is also only going to be available for the Google Workspace as far as we can tell. This means that if your business is not Google native, isn’t integrated into the system, or even has different departments on different systems, there could be some silos as a result.

Functionality -As a tool that has been created to fit an already existing product, that is going to be aimed to mass appeal it may end up being light on things like customization and the completeness of notes. If there are specific organizational needs, it may not be able to serve those functions such as sales or looking at all the meetings at once.

User Experience – At this early stage, the user experience may not be fully up-to-speed as of yet. If you compare the first iteration of Gmail to how it looks now, you would find the original clunky and less intuitive, along with potentially slow. This, when applied to meeting software, could actually hamper some productivity as a result.

It’s Not New – While Google is this big household name, they haven’t invented something brand new and innovative to the market. This is something that companies have been working on and perfecting for years as their core focus. As a result, while it may have an initial flurry of effort put into Gemini by Google it will potentially already lack features other tools have, and run the risk of being shelved (Google Glass, Google Plus) at a later date.

An Alternative for Gemini For Google Meet

If you are looking for a Gemini alternative, or perhaps don’t have access to Gemini just yet, then consider looking at tl;dv.

This is feature-rich alternative has several advantages to Gemini

Multi-Meeting Notes Management – If you have multiple meetings at once the tool can handle it. It has it’s own internal organizational structure that makes it easy to search, track and find things in a centralized system. You can also ask the smart AI questions about all meetings, and it will search all of them and give you an AI-driven response to your query.

Customization Options – Along with regular customizable reports that can be set-up, tl;dv allows far more customization. From tags, notes and how highlights are created (you can even create little highlight reels using the AI). It makes it a lot more relevant and actionable as a result.

Integration with Other Tools – Where Gemini is Google native it works with Google, however tl;dv seamlessly integrates with various platforms such as Slack, Notion, and HubSpot. This integration allows you to synchronize meeting notes with other tools your team uses, enhancing productivity and collaboration. It also works with Zoom and Microsoft Teams making it easier to work with external organizations who don’t use Google Meet.

Easy To Use Search and Highlighting – tl;dv makes it simple to search for, and highlight, key moments from a meeting. And the AI functionality also learns and gets smarter with you so it can often highlight itself.

Participant Insights – With advanced speaker analytics, and the chance at using it for sales coaching, it can provide feedback to help you and your team communicate more effectively. It’s also helpful for understanding team dynamics with the use of speaking time evaluation, ensuring that everybody has a voice in meetings.

Summarization and Sharing – With an already tried-and-tested AI summarization ability, tl;dv make sure that all the key points are easy to read and access.

User-Friendly Interface – With a number of years already tweaking and adjusting the user interface from customer-feedback, tl;dv’s interface is easy to navigate. This enhances the overall user experience and ensures that team members can quickly access and use the tool effectively.

Comprehensive Support – With a large help center, informative blog and Customer Success support, if users have any questions it’s easy to find out or get in touch with someone who can help.

Alternatives to Record Meetings on Google Meet


Google Meet’s built-in recording feature is easy to use, but some teams may need extra options for more complex requirements:

  • Storage Management: Since recordings go straight to the host’s Google Drive, storage limits can be an issue, especially for frequent or long meetings. This can lead to added costs for extra space and make it tricky to keep recordings organized.
  • Permission and Sharing: Access to recordings depends on permissions set by the host, which can complicate sharing with wider audiences. Managing permissions across multiple teams or projects can quickly become a challenge if several people need access.
  • Locating Key Points: Google Meet’s recordings don’t support tagging or highlighting, which can make it harder to find specific sections in a long meeting.

For teams needing more flexibility, tl;dv is a helpful add-on for Google Meet. It lets users mark important moments, add tags, and quickly locate sections that need follow-up. tl;dv also simplifies sharing and organizing recordings, so teams can access specific points without sorting through entire files.

Alternatives to Transcribe Meetings on Google Meet

Google Meet’s Gemini can automatically create transcripts, but some users may find it limited in certain situations:

  • Accuracy with Technical Language: Gemini may struggle with specific industry terms or complex vocabulary, requiring manual edits. This can be time-consuming for users in fields like medicine, law, or engineering.
  • Language Limitations: Some users need transcription in multiple languages, and current language options may not cover all needs for international teams.
  • Need for Contextual Tags: Gemini provides basic transcripts but lacks the ability to add tags or organize points as they happen, which can make it harder to follow up on key topics.

For users seeking additional options, tl;dv works well with Google Meet by allowing tags to be added during transcription. This makes it easier to revisit specific sections. With support for multiple languages, tl;dv also better serves international teams, allowing users to mark important points in various languages.

Alternatives for Taking Notes on Google Meet


Gemini’s automatic note-taking feature in Google Meet helps capture key details, but there are times when users might want more flexibility:

  • Organizing Notes for Projects: Automatic notes can feel unstructured, especially for projects requiring specific categories or organized action items. Some users need a way to sort notes more clearly.
  • Adding Personal Insights: Automated notes might miss insights or contextual details that come up during the meeting. Teams may want a tool that allows them to add their own thoughts without editing every time.
  • Integration with Other Tools: For teams that rely on additional tools like Slack or task managers, sharing Google Meet notes can be a bit limited.


tl;dv can help by allowing users to tag notes during meetings, capture specific ideas as they come up, and share directly with other platforms. This lets teams create organized, actionable notes suited to their needs.

Gemini Vs tl;dv

While Gemini looks like a promising addition to the Google Workspace, it does have some limitations and requires a lot of trust and assumption that people want to be Google native. However, with several years of experience in the note-taking, AI-meeting assistant space, tl;dv offers a lot more features, functionality and a user-friendly interface that could be considered a superior alternative to Gemini at this point.

If you are interested in trying it out for yourself, then tl;dv has a free tier that can be tested on Google Meet, as well as Microsoft Teams and Zoom. Try it out for yourself and see how it can transform your meeting experience moving forward.