An AI that schedules meetings with several people for you

Getting one person on a call is easy. Getting five is a project. Someone can do Tuesday but not the morning, someone never answers, and by the time three people agree the fourth has filled the slot. A booking link doesn't fix it, because a link only works when one person picks a time for themselves. With a group, somebody still has to collect everyone's answers and find the overlap.

That somebody can be an assistant you text. This page explains how Arlo does it, what it asks you along the way, and where it stops.

How it works

1. You text the request. Something like "set up a 45-minute meeting with Dana, Priya and Sam next week about the Q4 plan", with their emails or phone numbers if Arlo doesn't already know them. You can do this in iMessage or in a Slack DM.
2. Arlo looks at your calendar. It reads your Google Calendar or Outlook and offers up to eight open times on weekdays between 9 and 5, no more than two a day (one before 3 pm, one after), within the next two weeks.
3. It shows you the plan before anything goes out. You see who it will contact, from which account, and the times it will offer, and nothing is sent until you reply yes.
4. It asks everyone. People with an email address get the message from your own Gmail or Outlook, so it comes from you. People you only have a phone number for get a text. By default, for more than three people it sends each one a private poll link where they tick the times that work; for a smaller group it sends each person a message listing the times.
5. It follows up once. Anyone who hasn't answered gets one reminder with the poll link.
6. It books the time, after one more yes. When a slot works for everyone, Arlo asks you to confirm, checks your calendar again for conflicts, then puts the event on your calendar with invites to everyone who has an email address, and sends each person a short confirmation, by text for anyone you only have a number for.

What it won't do yet

• It doesn't see other people's calendars. It asks them, the way a person would. Even if your company shares calendars, it still asks each person and waits for their answer.
• It doesn't reschedule. Once the meeting is booked, changes are up to you. If no time suits the whole group, it stops and asks you what to do.
• Video links depend on your calendar. With a work or school Outlook calendar it can add a Microsoft Teams link. On Google Calendar it doesn't add a Meet link, so add one to the event yourself.
• It handles up to 20 people, meetings of 5 minutes to 8 hours, and you start it from iMessage or a Slack DM.

When a link or a poll is all you need

If one person is booking time with you, a scheduling link such as Calendly is faster than any assistant. If you just want to see when a group is free and don't mind chasing people yourself, a free poll like Doodle or When2meet does that. An assistant earns its keep when you'd otherwise be the one writing the message, reminding the person who didn't answer, and sending the invite at the end. See AI scheduling assistant for the rest of what Arlo does with your calendar.

Frequently asked questions

Can an AI schedule a meeting with several people? Yes. Arlo checks your calendar, offers open times to everyone by email, text or a private poll link, follows up once with anyone who hasn't answered, and books the time that works once you approve it. It handles up to 20 people.

Does it need everyone's calendar? No. It only reads your calendar, Google Calendar or Outlook, and asks the other people which times work for them.

Will it send messages without asking me? No. It shows you who it will contact and the times it will offer, waits for your yes, and asks again before it books the meeting and sends the invites.

Can it add a video call link? With a work or school Outlook calendar it can add a Microsoft Teams link. On Google Calendar it doesn't add a Google Meet link, so you'd add one yourself.

What happens if someone can't make it after it's booked? Arlo doesn't reschedule. Move or cancel the meeting yourself in your calendar.