From the charge to enhance business meeting spaces driven by the pandemic, rent advances in AI have added further impetus to developments in meeting room solutions. So where is the state of the art today, and how much further should we expect to travel? AV News editor Bryan Denyer reports with additional material from Jon Knight, Managing Director at Ascentae and Peter Fitton, Solutions Architect at Ross Video.
We are undoubtedly in the midst of a new generation of office and meeting room technologies, driven by the impact of AI, and, furthermore, by advances in physical display solutions, networks and automation of the user experience. “AI is already becoming the invisible assistant in many meeting spaces – quietly making everything easier. From real-time transcription to automated speaker tracking and intelligent summaries, it’s shifting the focus back to human interaction instead of technical friction.” Peter Fitton, Solutions Architect at Ross Video adds: “At Ross, we’re integrating AI into our control solutions to help automate production workflows – think smart switching, camera automation, and content prioritisation. That means less fiddling with settings and more engaged conversation and decision-making.”
Taken in isolation, AI is insufficient to bring about the level of change expected by end-users today. There is continuing reliance on established AV technologies and techniques: “The goal is to make meeting technology so unobtrusive; you hardly even know it’s there. Wireless presentation equipment of today’s generation already enables users to switch and share content in the moment. Add in decision-making assistance through AI – like recommendations, alerts, or major insights – and meetings become more dynamic, live video collaborations,” says Fitton.
AI functionality
Taking these recent advances into account Jon Knight, Managing Director at Ascentae, believes that we are still at an early stage in the development of meeting room technology: “We’re only scratching the surface of what AI can deliver in meetings. Today’s meeting summaries and transcriptions are just the foundation. Imagine a future where every meeting becomes searchable data, enabling AI to track trends, assess communication styles using DISC profiling, and even auto-generate action plans that match individual communication preferences. That’s not a distant dream – it’s a direction we’re already heading”. As evidence supporting this conclusion, Knight cites tools like Otter.ai and Microsoft Copilot which already provide live transcription and summaries, and AI platforms trained to personalise communication using behavioural profiles.
Fitton has seen change in action: “The power dynamic is shifting. AI-driven summaries can bring objectivity and speed to the follow-up process. When the tech captures the key outcomes, decisions, and action items accurately, everyone walks away with the same understanding. At Ross, we see this as a natural extension of smart meeting rooms—making outcomes more transparent, traceable, and accountable, video minutes that correspond with transcripts and summaries. Quorum One – our new all-in-one video production platform purpose-built to help elevate the message from modern meetings through highly polished video content.”
While wireless and touchless presentation systems are essential for the successful integration of modern hybrid meeting spaces: “When you integrate them with AI-powered decision support systems, you’re not just sharing information—you’re enabling real-time, data-informed decisions. Tools that highlight key metrics, sentiment trends, or even audience engagement from shared content will turn meetings from passive experiences into agile, outcome-driven sessions,” observes Knight.
Meeting room equity
Increased reliance on technology to support decision-making focuses attention on the importance of ensuring that meeting spaces support ‘level playing fields: This is based, first, on the physical meeting infrastructure (positioning of cameras, microphones etc.) and is now a major factor in specking the software supporting the meeting: “Meeting equity isn’t a feature – it’s a fundamental. AI can bridge language and accessibility gaps, enabling live multilingual transcription and intelligent audio processing that equalises all voices in a room. But the tech is ahead of the infrastructure. Many businesses are still running on outdated AV hardware that can’t support these innovations. Until we bridge that gap, the promise of equity remains unfulfilled,” reasons Knight. He suggests that Microsoft’s push for inclusive meetings through Teams’ live captions and translation, arguing that this shows that AI is central to equity, But Knight cautions: “This is only true when the meeting ecosystem supports it.”
on concurs: “Meeting room equity starts with giving everyone equal presence and voice. Technology like beamforming microphones, AI-driven gain control, and multilingual transcription enable meetings to be more inclusive by default. And they should be the norm and standard, not premium. At Ross Video, we’re passionate about levelling the playing field – whether it’s for a boardroom, control room, or hybrid event – so every participant can contribute meaningfully, regardless of their physical or linguistic limitations.”
Remote participants
Questions surrounding meeting equity are often raised with reference to the predicament of remote participants. In addition to enhancements to the physical infrastructure of the meeting room. AV News has recently taken part in our first meeting where some of the remote participants were represented by avatars. Aside from the distraction of quasi-realistic avatars, Knight believes that the technology has a future, but suggests some refinements: “Hyper-realistic avatars could humanise remote participation – but only if used ethically. They can help reduce biases tied to appearance or physical presence and give voice to the often-overlooked virtual participant. But we must tread carefully. If avatars are overused or manipulated, we risk undermining authenticity in communication.”
While the use of avatars has some way to go, the use of AI to carry out the basic functions of a meeting is here and now. Take the often-tedious process of taking minutes and assigning actions. Knight explains: “AI doesn’t just summarise—it liberates. By automating notes, minutes, and action points, human attention is freed to focus on strategy and empathy – the things AI can’t replicate. More importantly, this data creates a goldmine for continuous improvement, enabling organisations to spot inefficiencies and trends that would otherwise go unnoticed.”
Fitton largely agrees but with some firther reservations: “Potentially, yes. If avatars can capture gestures, tone, and emotional subtlety, they can help bridge the gap between remote and co-present presence. But it’s not necessarily a question of being realistic – it’s a question of being respectful of individual comfort and agency. Users should be able to decide how they show up. When implemented with care, this tech could enhance engagement and make remote participation feel less… remote.”
XR for understanding
Another factor critical to achieving meeting equity is commonality of understanding, whereby all the participants should be facilitated in sharing understanding of sometimes complex presentations from specialists which impact on group decisions. Here, extended realities are sometimes cited as tools to enhance understanding: Knight believes that: “AR and VR have transformative potential—but context is everything. In sectors like construction or manufacturing, visualising complex models in 3D unlocks better decisions. But for a finance boardroom or sales review, it’s more likely to distract than deliver value. The real challenge is scaling these experiences without turning meetings into sci-fi simulations.”
Fitton advises caution with the deployment of extended realties in a meeting context: “When combined with purpose AR and VR can be amazing. Spatial review of design, for instance, or seeing hard data, or virtual site tours. The problem, however, is context. These technologies do not simply have to amaze – people’s minds need to be able to process, understand, and respond more rapidly. Contextually placed, however, they add clarity, not distraction.”
The meeting environment
While meetings are sometimes notorious ‘snooze fests’, which innovations including IoT functions are designed to help remedy. Knight has seen this in action and believes: “Sensor-driven smart environments are the future. From occupancy detection to voice and motion-triggered automation, sensors will turn static rooms into responsive, intuitive spaces. With AI, we’ll soon see AV tech that adapts to the presenter’s location or audience size in real-time, removing friction from meetings altogether.” Solutions from PointGrab and Utelogy are already enabling occupancy-based automation, while Huddly’s vision AI responds dynamically to in-room movement.
But does environmental control improve meeting outcomes? Knight is a big fan: “Yes – immeasurably so! GSK’s research showed optimal productivity at 21°C and 32% better decision-making under circadian lighting. But most meeting rooms today operate in silos – lighting, AV, and HVAC don’t talk to each other. At Ascentae, we’re working with vendors such as GoBright, Utelogy and PointGrab to unify these systems and unlock both wellbeing and sustainability in meeting spaces. Linked to this is the ESG agenda where the automation of HVAC, lighting and AV systems linked to real-time occupancy or booking system data can unlock huge environmental and cost of energy savings.” Knight adds: “At Ascentae we believe this is particularly relevant to organisations embracing hybrid or flexible working.”
Fitton believes that the changes ahead from the use of sensor technology could be profound. Future change will be: “A big one. Sensors allow spaces to respond in real-time—to occupation, ambient light, noise levels, and even to who is speaking. Cameras frame automatically, mics adjust, and environmental controls can automatically optimize comfort settings. We already use these principles in control rooms and broadcast studios. Now, we’re bringing that same responsive intelligence into corporate environments to create rooms that are smarter and more intuitive.”
So, do better rooms produce better meeting outcomes? Fitton believes they do: “It may seem subtle, but comfort fuels performance. An environment that adapts light and temperature to the time of day or meeting size provides a better cognitive space. Our strategy at Ross is to make those changes part of the video experience itself – same as audio and video. It’s an additional level of meeting preparedness that’s simple to automate, and difficult to overlook after experiencing it.”
Meeting tools and environments
While opinions vary on the value of some tools designed to improve the effectiveness and outcomes of meetings, there is a degree of uniformity in the application of project management tools to help keep meetings on track. Knight is convinced of their value: “Absolutely. Methodologies like Agile and The Last Planner System are redefining how industries like construction stay lean and productive. Embedding similar frameworks into corporate meeting culture – with AI nudging adherence – can transform meetings from talking shops into engines of accountability.” Lean methodologies can improve productivity by up to 25% in construction projects (McKinsey), and software tools like Monday.com and Asana are now integrating AI to optimise task allocation and follow-ups.
Enhancements for personal workspace environments have long been discussed. As far as the 1970s, office workers were encouraged to use ergonomic backless chairs and stand-up desks (mot to any great degree of success). So has the culture and attitudes improved today? Are height adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs now seen as a wise investment to produce better meetings? Knight believes that: “Comfort drives clarity. Ergonomics isn’t just about wellness – it’s about engagement. Height-adjustable desks, for example, improve blood flow and posture, but also promote collaboration by encouraging movement. At Baker McKenzie (see the box below), we delivered a solution where users could store their own desk height preferences, turning hotdesking into a personalised experience.
And the problems?
Clearly. there are many advantages arising from the adoption of new and emerging AV and AI technologies. But virtually no game-changing innovations come completely free of downsides. Meeting room technologies are no different, with issues surrounding security and compliance. Knight concurs: “Security is the linchpin of trust in AI-enabled meetings. Encryption is table stakes; what matters now is where the data lives and how it’s processed. Platforms like Microsoft Copilot succeed because data stays within the enterprise cloud. But there’s a trade-off: broader AI models can be more powerful, but less secure. Striking that balance is the next frontier.”
Fitton is on the same page when it comes to securing the meeting environment: “It’s essential – especially in markets like corporate, government, finance, and healthcare. Real-time encryption, logging of access, and content management must be built- n, not bolted on. In Ross production systems, we build security as part of the architecture, so it safeguards live operations as well as archived assets. And as compliance demands grow, the ability to monitor and report in real-time is just as important as locking the front door”
Conclusions
While working on this piece, something became clear: “It’s not about AI replacing humans – it’s about amplifying them. AI clears the noise, processes vast amounts of data, and spotlights what matters. It’s not here to decide, but to empower.” Knight argues that: “At Ascentae, we’ve trained our team to use ‘mega prompts’ – AI-powered workflows that deliver precision and personalisation. That’s the future of effective collaboration.” Fitton supports this view: “AI should support human decisions, not replace them. If the AI is listening, calling out critical trends, forecasting mic and camera positions, suggesting possible next steps – it’s getting you ahead, not driving. The strength is real when humans vet, put it into context, and own the outcome. It’s not a question of replacing meeting facilitators – rather, it’s a question of arming them with better tools to steer the ship, Quorum 1 – Ross Video’s integrated AV production system that unites automation, switching, clip playout, and AI camera tracking in a single solution.”
Flexibility and integration the keys for new London offices
Baker McKenzie, a global legal leader, was established in Chicago in 1949. It has since expanded its operations to major business centres worldwide, leveraging its extensive network and expertise in cross-border transactions. The firm’s comprehensive legal services encompass corporate law, finance, litigation, tax, and intellectual property. Following significant growth over recent years, the Firm was looking for a new home for their 1000+ UK-based employees, as the lease at their offices at New Bridge Street, London, was approaching expiry. The move gave Baker McKenzie the unique opportunity to redefine its office layout to create a space that reflected the Firm’s culture, a once-in-a-generation chance to make a space that reflected its values around collaboration, creative thinking and best-in-class service.
The Firm wanted to create an environment where people were excited to work, which enabled the continued delivery of first-class service to the Firm’s outstanding client base in the face of changing delivery models for legal advice. In 2020, Baker McKenzie confirmed they would relocate to offices at 280 Bishopsgate, Spitalfields, with the physical move concluding in late 2023. 280 Bishopsgate has been meticulously designed to facilitate collaboration, sustainability, and well-being. It’s a dynamic workspace that drives team engagement, inviting everyone to be part of the change. The building features an intelligent use of space, with quiet corners on four of the six floors, enabling people to do ‘focused work’ without distraction. With collaboration desk zones across all working floors, the workspace fosters cross-team collaboration with colleagues in ‘team neighbourhoods’, but with sufficient private meeting and phone call space to allow private work to be conducted.
Rachel Slade was the Programme Lead. She explains that team engagement and collaboration were critical drivers for the relocation project: “One of our main objectives moving to Bishopsgate was to create a completely agile building, and one way that we wanted to deliver this was to have a ‘no-assigned’ desk policy, driving the need for a platform that could enable people to book desks intuitively, integrated with our other business platforms to increase overall efficiency and productivity.” Baker McKenzie chose the GoBright Smart Workplace platform for several reasons, including the platform’s desk check-in feature. This feature enables users to streamline the process of finding a desk, saving time and reducing administrative burdens. GoBright’s ‘check-in’ option allows users to see when colleagues are also in the office, allowing desks to be taken together and fostering team collaboration and engagement. Rachel explains: ‘We wanted a solution that enabled our people to find and check into desks quickly and simply. The GoBright platform offered an intuitive user interface allowing quick and easy interrogation of the data with the options to change the way we use the platform easily and seamlessly in the future, increasing collaboration opportunities. We were so impressed with the GoBright platform, particularly the integration it offers with Microsoft O365 and other platforms we were already using across the Firm.”
The GoBright platform also includes a feature that enables users to control the height adjustable motor on Linak desks, a unique integration through which each user can save their personal preferences in the GoBright app. This approach, often referred to as ‘personalised hot desking’ is functional at Baker McKenzie where all desks offer simple height adjustability through integration with the puck. Users pre-set their preferred height of the desk, which is activated when you check-in, creating a more personal experience for desk users. Rachel continues, “My personal objective was to create an environment where everyone who visits Bishopsgate loves at least one thing about it, and I think we have achieved that! We have created a space that drives cross-team collaboration, enabling teams to work together more productively.”
So, what does the future hold? Rachel explains: “We want to start integrating different elements now, such as temperature and air quality and start to mine the data delivered from applications like GoBright, investigating and reacting to emerging trends. Ultimately, we have created a unique, modern environment; now we need to continue to evolve and look for ways the technology and environment can integrate more seamlessly with our teams, supporting them to work smarter and support our legal practices.”
