When the Founder of VAANI Got a Sales Email That Knew Too Much
It was supposed to be a routine meeting. A few colleagues, a couple of clients, and the usual strategic talks. But when Tushar Shinde, Founder of Vaani Research Labs, received an unexpected email the next day, everything changed.
Taking to Twitter, Tushar shared what happened next—a disturbing realization that resonated with many in the startup and business world. Like countless other founders, VCs, and CXOs, he regularly uses AI meeting assistants like Fireflies, Fathom, or Granola to transcribe and summarize discussions. But this time, just a day after the meeting, he received a hyper-targeted sales email that referenced their internal conversation, almost word-for-word.
a lot of us founders, VCs & CXOs use meeting notetakers/assistants like @FathomDotVideo @firefliesai @meetgranola, etc. I received a very specific sales email from a company. What’s weird? The email referenced an internal conversation we had just a day ago – almost word-for-word. pic.twitter.com/687p3I4q5i
— Tushar Shinde (@dstartupkid) April 1, 2025
Tushar’s first instinct was to ask: “Who leaked this information?” But as the pieces began to fall into place, the horrifying truth dawned on him. The meeting had been recorded by Fireflies, an AI-powered notetaker designed to automatically transcribe, summarize, and capture all the essential moments of meetings.
A lot of us discuss their intents, products, IPs, finances, clients and other sensitive information, so just take bit more care next time you're using these tools.@upperwal & I learnt a lesson. hope you don't have to.#Privacy #Notetakers #AIassistant #fireflies #granola #zoom
— Tushar Shinde (@dstartupkid) April 1, 2025
It wasn’t just the email that was unsettling, it was the realization that the AI had absorbed everything: internal strategies, client names, and upcoming plans. The very information they had just shared in confidence had now somehow found its way into a targeted sales pitch.
AI notetakers can transcribe and store meeting data, but after this recent incident has reported, their use raises privacy risks under laws like the CCPA, which requires businesses to disclose data collection practices, especially if the data is used for training AI or sold for marketing.
AI Notetakers: A Silent Risk to Your Confidential Conversations
We’ve all been there, relying on AI notetakers to transcribe our meetings. They’re supposed to save us time, eliminate the hassle of manual note-taking, and even transcribe every word with near-perfect accuracy. Fireflies, like many other AI tools, promises to make meetings more productive by recording every conversation, allowing users to focus on the discussion instead of worrying about notes.
But this convenient tool comes with a silent, insidious cost: data exposure.
Tushar’s experience wasn’t just a fluke, it’s a growing concern in today’s digital age. AI notetakers, while efficient, are not neutral tools. They’re designed to record and store everything they hear. But the real question is: where does that data go? Many of these tools are linked to third-party vendors who process and store your meeting data, and in some cases, sell it to others for targeted marketing or analysis.

What’s worse is that many of these tools don’t necessarily provide transparency on where your data goes after it’s processed. While Fireflies and similar platforms claim to offer security, the reality is that data may be stored on external servers, raising concerns about who has access to it and how it’s being used. Fireflies, in particular, has a policy of storing transcriptions and recordings indefinitely unless the user opts out.
That means your sensitive business information could be lying around somewhere, waiting to be accessed by someone you never authorized.
While we may trust these AI assistants to handle our business discussions, we have no real control over what happens to that information once it’s been recorded.
The details of your next big product launch, your company’s financials, or your clients’ private information could all be at risk, exposed to anyone with the right connections.
How No-Log GPTs Can Be the Privacy Shield You Never Knew You Needed
After his unsettling discovery, Tushar took a step back to reconsider the tools he was using. AI notetakers are invaluable for efficiency, but they need to respect privacy. The answer? No-log GPTs.
A No-log GPT is an AI tool that processes data without storing it. Unlike traditional AI notetakers like Fireflies that may save your conversations, use them for training purposes, or share them with third parties, No-log GPTs keep your data private. They simply process the input, generate the output, and delete the conversation immediately after the task is done, no logs, no trace.
But no matter how secure an AI tool may be, one thing remains clear: security doesn’t stop at the AI level. Enter the VPN.
A VPN encrypts your internet connection, masking your IP address and protecting your online activities from hackers, government surveillance, or other prying eyes. It’s an essential tool for any business that values privacy, but it won’t stop AI notetakers from recording your conversations. That’s where No-log GPTs step in. They protect your data at the source, not just the transmission level.
The Unseen Costs of Convenience: Why You Can’t Afford to Wait
Tushar’s story is a stark reminder of the unseen costs of convenience. AI notetakers like Fireflies can be incredibly useful, but they also pose a significant risk to your privacy. As businesses continue to adopt these tools, we must ask ourselves: Are we really in control of our own data?
With No-log GPTs, we can ensure that sensitive discussions stay private. And when combined with the protection of a VPN, businesses can safeguard their information from both external threats and internal vulnerabilities.
The time to rethink your approach is now. Are you still willing to risk your confidential business information just to save a few minutes? Or will you embrace No-log GPTs and the power of a VPN, and take control of your digital privacy?
Don’t wait for the next breach to open your eyes. The future of your business is in your hands—and so is its privacy.