The parent company behind two of Australia's biggest bottle shops has cracked down on AI transcription tools after a rumoured workplace incident involving the technology 'recording something it shouldn't have'. 

The Daily Mail understands that retail and hospitality giant Endeavour Group, which owns BWS and Dan Murphy's, has limited the use of live transcription tools across the company - though the firm insists it is a preventative measure.

The move follows speculation in corporate Australia that a conversation was accidentally caught by a transcription agent in what some insiders are calling a 'hot mic moment'.

The rumour first surfaced late last month via an anonymous submission to the Aussie Corporate Instagram account. The nature of the recorded conversation is unknown.

The tip-off stated that Google Meeting recordings and Gemini note-taking capabilities were scrapped 'out of the blue' and 'with minimal exceptions' - 'all because a LT [live transcriber] was recorded saying something they shouldn't have'.

The 'near-blanket ban' was described by the company insider as counterproductive at a time when Endeavour Group is pushing for greater 'efficiencies' and 'cost savings', noting that the tech was 'actually helping with our productivity'.

AI note-taking tools, such as Google Meet's Take Notes for Me function, powered by Gemini, automatically transcribe and summarise meetings in real time.

But when contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the company declined to comment publicly on the circumstances that led to the move. 

One company source did allude to the possibility of AI-assisted mishaps by saying the action was taken to 'mitigate the unintended risks' posed by tools that transcribe meetings in real time, especially given the 'level of detail' often being recorded.

However, they insisted that it was a preventative measure.

The Daily Mail understands that the scaling back of AI transcription tools at Endeavour is not being formally included in the company's artificial intelligence policy.

In addition to owning Australia's two largest bottle shop chains, Endeavour, which employs more than 30,000 people, also runs the hospitality arm ALH Group.

ALH oversees a portfolio of more than 350 licensed venues, including the Crows Nest Hotel in Sydney and the historic Young & Jackson in Melbourne. 

The ASX-listed Endeavour Group recorded a profit of $426million in the last financial year, representing a decrease of 17 per cent amid cost-of-living pressures.