Telstra and REINSW have AI agents helping their boards, and neither one gets a vote
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
Telstra is testing an AI agent that drafts board minutes, and the Real Estate Institute of NSW plans to offer members a version of its board AI. Both say the people stay in charge.
The short version
- Telstra is testing an AI agent that drafts board minutes, and uses a Copilot prompt to check board papers against its style guides.
- The Real Estate Institute of NSW plans to give members an AI advisor like its own board agent, loaded with each office's information.
- Smaller businesses can borrow the idea for meeting papers, with a person checking every draft and making every decision.
Board papers have a habit of growing a page every time someone says "just one more thing". Two Australian organisations are now using AI to make that pile easier to handle.
What are Telstra and REINSW doing with AI?
Telstra is extending the AI agent it launched for its board in June so staff can use it to prepare for and record board meetings, SmartCompany reported on 27 October. An agent in testing drafts minutes from the company secretary's notes, and a Copilot prompt applies approved style guides, readability checks and templates to board papers.
Directors use the tool to summarise earlier papers and clarify questions before meetings. Telstra says it doesn't make decisions or give advice, and every director completed responsible AI training before using it.
What is REINSW planning?
The Real Estate Institute of NSW plans to offer its members an AI advisor with the same abilities as its own board agent, CEO Tim McKibbin told SmartCompany. Each office could load its own information, such as staff names and policies, to help with jobs like onboarding.
REINSW says its agent only works from the data it supplies, which it sees as a guard against errors.
Should your business use AI for meeting papers?
Your business can use AI for meeting papers on a much smaller scale, with ChatGPT, Claude or Copilot summarising last month's notes or tidying a report. The Australian Institute of Company Directors warns against handing off critical duties entirely, and says limited resources shouldn't stop small businesses from trialling AI.
My take: let AI draft the minutes and summarise the pack, then have a person check every line. You don't need a board, either. A monthly catch-up with your business partner counts.
The AI can read the papers. It still can't be blamed for the decision.
Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.