Why We Chose to be Bot-Free: A Revolution in AI Meeting Assistants

When we began creating Shadow, the concept of an AI Meeting Assistant was almost unheard of. It felt futuristic to some and unnecessary to others. For those who saw its potential, it often seemed misaligned with their workflows.

To define Shadow’s vision, we asked a simple but profound question:

What tasks do people genuinely want technology to handle in their meetings?

The answer was clear—people want help with repetitive, mundane tasks that drain time and energy without requiring creative or critical thinking. That’s why we built Shadow.

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Shadow’s Purpose: Elevating Meetings, Reducing Busywork

Shadow automates tedious administrative tasks like generating meeting summaries, automating follow-ups, and managing notes. Its seamless integration into workflows ensures meetings remain focused and free of disruption, avoiding the robotic or intrusive feel of other tools.

Shadow integrates quietly, ensuring every meeting remains human-centric and uninterrupted. Whether you're searching for the best note taker for Mac, a note taker app for Mac, or the best app for taking notes on Mac, Shadow simplifies your workflow with convenience.

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Bot-Free by Design: A New Standard in Meeting Automation

Our decision to go bot-free and prioritize privacy was driven by a core belief: Technology should work for people, not the other way around. Many tools are designed to collect, store, and exploit user data, often undermining trust. Shadow rejects this norm by ensuring transparency, security, and autonomy in everything we do.

For example, one of our users—a senior manager in a healthcare organization—shared that they avoided using AI-powered meeting tools due to concerns about storing sensitive patient data on external servers. With Shadow’s local processing and privacy-first design, they finally felt secure using an AI meeting assistant that aligned with their compliance needs.

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The Problem with Conventional Meeting Tools

Traditional meeting tools rely on bots that join calls, record everything, and process data externally. While this approach offers convenience, it introduces significant drawbacks:

1. Privacy Risks: Sensitive data is often stored on external servers, creating vulnerabilities.
2. Loss of Control: Users lose ownership over meeting content.
3. Disruption: Bots feel invasive and affect the flow of natural discussions.

For industries like healthcare, consulting, and technology, these concerns are deal-breakers. Shadow resolves these challenges with a privacy-first, locally run approach.

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Privacy-First by Design

Shadow processes all meeting data—audio, notes, summaries—directly on your device. Your data never leaves unless you choose to share it. This local-first design ensures:

• Data Ownership: Full control over your meeting content.
• Security: Content stays secure, stored only on your device.
• Authenticity: Meetings feel natural, with no bots listening in.

A senior healthcare manager shared how Shadow allowed them to confidently use an AI meeting assistant while maintaining compliance with privacy regulations. If you're seeking the best note-taking app for Mac, Shadow provides a secure, efficient solution.

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Why Privacy Matters in AI Tools

In an age where user data is often exploited, Shadow offers a transparent, privacy-first alternative. Shadow never sends meeting content to external servers or uses it to train AI models. Even when leveraging OpenAI’s SOC 2-certified APIs for specific tasks, Shadow ensures zero third-party access to your meeting data.

This commitment to privacy isn’t just about compliance; it’s about trust. Shadow users know their meetings are private, secure, and under their control.

What Sets Shadow Apart?

While Shadow uses AI for tasks like generating meeting summaries and follow-ups, it processes all meeting content locally on your device. Here’s how we ensure complete privacy:

1. Local-Only Processing: Meeting audio and data never leave your device.
2. OpenAI Compliance: Shadow uses OpenAI APIs for skills processing but never sends meeting content to OpenAI.
3. Full Data Ownership: Users retain complete control and ownership over all meeting data.

For further assurance, you can explore OpenAI’s privacy commitments in detail here.

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Join the Shadow Movement

Choosing Shadow means opting for a meeting assistant that respects your privacy, autonomy, and time. Designed for professionals in industries across various industries and loved by those in healthcare, consulting, and technology, Shadow offers a unique alternative to bot-reliant tools that run on the web.

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Stay Connected

• Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok: @getshadowai.
• Join our Slack community: shadowcommunity.slack.com.
• Visit our website for more information.

Empower your meetings with Shadow today.

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