Ipswich Finance Committee Weighs Using AI To Produce Meeting Minutes

The Ipswich Finance Committee is considering a plan to use artificial intelligence to generate meeting minutes. Chair Ken Swenson asked members earlier this month whether they would consider the technology after a resident raised concerns about how long some boards take to publish minutes and that others sometimes do not publish them at all.

A resident, Ted Dillon, said he and a friend built an AI tool that can transcribe recorded town meetings and produce minutes quickly, potentially allowing boards to review and sign off within days or hours, and he said human oversight would still be required. Several committee members expressed support; Jamie Fay said he backed the idea but warned it could eliminate a part-time role, and Emilie Smith and Todd Wilson also signaled support. Town Manager Brendan Sweeney said reviewing and correcting minutes still uses substantial staff time, that the town could pilot AI with boards lacking dedicated minute takers, and that whether Ipswich will adopt the technology remains to be seen. The town currently pays recording secretaries per meeting; the Finance Committee’s secretary is paid $175 per meeting and Ipswich paid $9,190 in FY25. An estimate suggests ending the recording secretary position could lower annual costs by more than $10,000, but it is unclear how much an AI service would cost; Dillon’s website says his tool would cost the same as a recording secretary.