AI documentation has made me notice what I don’t retain from sessions
I’ve been reading the posts here about the dangers of AI, and I wanted to share something I’ve noticed in my own practice—not to dismiss those concerns, but to explore another aspect of using it.
I use an app that transcribes session audio and turns it into a draft note. Comparing the transcript with the note has highlighted two different gaps: clinically relevant details I didn’t fully register or retain during the session, and information the app leaves out when it condenses the conversation.
The first has been illuminating. In my own experience, being present with a client isn’t the same as being able to recall every detail afterward. Reviewing the transcript and draft note sometimes brings my attention back to something I might otherwise have overlooked and gives me an opportunity to consider its clinical significance.
The second makes me cautious. I don’t think the AI “understands” the client better than I do, and I don’t treat its note as the authoritative account of the session. Comparing it with the transcript makes the omissions more visible, but it also raises a question: how much do the app’s selection and framing influence what I notice afterward? Am I returning to something meaningful in the client’s words, or being drawn toward what the software chose to emphasize?
I realize I could also revisit sessions by recording them and listening back, so I’m not claiming this benefit is unique to AI. For me, the practical difference is that reviewing a draft note fits into my existing documentation workflow, while listening back to an entire session would be a separate task. That convenience doesn’t resolve the concerns; it explains why this has become an opportunity for reflection in my practice.
Has anyone else who uses AI documentation noticed these two gaps—what you didn’t retain and what the app leaves out? How do you distinguish a useful reminder from a misleading summary, and how do you keep the generated note from shaping your understanding of the session too much?