How is AI is transforming the dynamics of meetings and collaboration spaces? To help answer this, Digital Journal spoke with Oliver Van Camp, Director of Meeting Room Experiences at Barco ClickShare.
Van Camp discusses how AI is making meetings more inclusive and productive, the balance between human creativity and automation, and what the future looks like as AI becomes your objective teammate in the meeting room.
Digital Journal: How do you see AI changing the dynamics of meetings today?
Oliver Van Camp: Meetings are one of the most human parts of work, and where most of the collaboration among teammates occurs. Teammates thrive on aspects such as idea sharing and open discussion, which are crucial factors in fostering collaboration. AI in the meeting room will begin to change the dynamics by easing the administrative burdens that typically divert the conversation’s focus. Over time, AI will act less like a tool in the background of a meeting and more like an objective teammate that helps keep the conversation inclusive and productive.
DJ: What’s the biggest benefit of AI in collaboration spaces?
Van Camp: One of the biggest benefits of AI in collaboration spaces is clarity. Often, people leave a meeting with differing understandings of what was decided. AI can capture decisions and next steps, so every team member leaves feeling aligned. Also, if you have global teams, AI can bridge the language gap and context, which will reduce misunderstandings and help teams operate more cohesively. The real benefit of AI will be how it delivers consistent meetings. In every meeting, regardless of size or location, a consistent baseline of accuracy and transparency will be maintained.
DJ: Are there any risks of AI in the meeting room?
Van Camp: One risk that could happen is that people get over-reliant on AI in the meeting room. Engagement in meetings could decrease because people expect AI to remember for them, which could compromise the quality of the discussion. This same risk will apply if teams start blindly accepting AI’s recap without checking that it reflects the reality of the meeting. Having humans in the loop and guardrails is essential when AI is incorporated into the meeting room. Humans should still remain in charge of the meeting’s outcome. There is no risk that AI will take over; however, people might give up some responsibilities to AI without realizing that oversight is what will keep collaboration effective.
DJ: Is there anything that AI should never automate in a meeting?
Van Camp: What makes meetings so valuable is the ideas, conversations and creativity that come from teammates. Yes, AI can organize and document, but it shouldn’t decide whether an idea has merit or replace the energy of building upon ideas and questions from people. There is a spark from human connection that gives the meeting valuable meaning, especially when you have teams that could be hybrid or remote.
DJ: How should decision-makers think about bringing AI into the meeting room?
Van Camp: Decision-makers shouldn’t adopt and incorporate AI into the meeting space just because it is popular. Its introduction needs to have a clear purpose, which is to strengthen collaboration rather than complicating it. Also, decision-makers should be thinking about security, cultural fit and how it will complement existing workflows. AI needs to be approached like a teammate with defined guardrails, so it can become a real business accelerator rather than just another piece of technology that distracts from the work.
DJ: Looking ahead, what’s next in the meeting room?
Van Camp: We’re moving quickly from AI as a personal assistant on your computer to actually being in the meeting room itself. AI systems will understand the meeting’s dynamics in real-time: who is contributing, how balanced the discussion is, and where decisions stall. If this is done right, AI will make meetings more collaborative and inclusive. The next step will be to trust AI. Since AI will be seen as a reliable teammate, trust is essential to ensure that its guidance will be used to strengthen human collaboration rather than replace it. Creating and building this type of trust will define whether AI in meetings becomes a true accelerator for teamwork.
