- The author expresses frustration with AI note-takers being used in casual, in-person conversations like coffee meetings, viewing them as intrusive third wheels that undermine authentic human connection.
- Historically, there was a clear distinction between 'The Record' (formal documents) and 'The Ephemeral' (casual talk), but AI note-takers have eliminated the marginal cost of recording, making everything default to being on the record.
- While AI note-takers are useful in formal work settings like Zoom calls, they destroy the 'backstage' environment of casual meetings, where people can be vulnerable and unscripted without performance pressure.
- The act of asking permission to use an AI note-taker is an exercise of power, offloading social discomfort onto the other person and forcing them into a front-stage performance, akin to a 'consent tax' seen in other contexts like Bluetooth speakers in public.
- Recording every casual encounter prioritizes information retrieval over relationship formation, stifling play, meandering conversations, and rapport-building, and the author advocates for social etiquette establishing 'No-AI zones' to preserve human dignity and unquantified interactions.