The earliest iteration of the modern calendar is etched into the surface of the Ishango bone, a 20,000-year-old artifact discovered in Central Africa. Some 17,000 years later came the Egyptian solar calendar, followed by the Babylonian lunisolar calendar around 500 BC.
Since then, humans have tried to fill these calendars—with agricultural schedules, religious practices, and industrial milestones. In the 21st century we are more productive than ever, working across time zones, juggling multiple devices and tasks, and optimizing calendars down to the minute. It’s no wonder that, in the face of their calendars, 60% of Americans report feeling too busy to enjoy life.
This is where AI scheduling assistants can help take the pain out of calendar management. Using multiple AI technologies, they prioritize tasks, corral busy teams, and simplify scheduling—so you can control your calendar (and not the other way around).
What is an AI scheduling assistant?
An AI scheduling assistant is an artificial intelligence tool that manages your schedule. AI scheduling assistants leverage several types of AI—including machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and predictive analytics—to recognize patterns on your calendar, make scheduling decisions, and learn from your feedback.
While AI scheduling capabilities vary, a typical assistant streamlines the scheduling process by syncing multiple calendars, adjusting your calendar in response to conflicts, and suggesting optimal meeting times. Many AI assistants also enhance project management with specific features that prioritize and schedule tasks based on deadlines, individual and team capacities, and project dependencies. As the pace of business continues to ramp up, automated scheduling tools help you save time, avoid scheduling conflicts, and work more efficiently, which can reduce stress.
What to look for in an AI scheduling assistant
Whether you’re building your personal brand or fielding back-to-back vendor meetings, finding an AI assistant with the right features can break open higher levels of productivity. Look for these key features in your AI scheduler:
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Third-party integrations. The top AI scheduling apps integrate with tools like Google Calendar, Zoom, iCloud, and beyond. Quality integrations enable smooth coordination across multiple calendar accounts and meeting platforms.
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Customization. From blocking out focus time to setting no-meeting days, look for apps that let you control your calendar to the fullest and set nearly unlimited scheduling preferences.
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Automated communication. Tools that use features like scheduling links (which allow invitees to book time on available slots on your calendar), automated meeting reminders and follow-up emails, and intelligent email concierges reduce the need for back-and-forth emails.
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Advanced task tracking. Leading AI schedulers help users track all the tasks they need to accomplish within a broader project by merging your to-do list and calendar. They may also provide detailed analytics on your performance and offer task-planning features that prioritize tasks and manage upcoming deadlines.
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Calendar suggestions. Some scheduling assistants track habits, ongoing projects, and preferences to create tailored calendar suggestions—and make real-time adjustments when your day doesn’t go as planned.
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User-friendly interface. An intuitive design makes it easy to organize tasks, integrate multiple calendars, streamline the scheduling process, and, ultimately, reduce mental clutter.
Top AI scheduling assistants
Maybe you’re looking for an AI assistant to jump into email threads and schedule your next meeting, or you’re craving a hyper-optimized, task-driven calendar. No matter your goals, these are some of the best AI scheduling assistants to consider on your quest for the perfect calendar:
Motion
Motion pairs AI-assisted project management with calendar scheduling to help users carve out uninterrupted focus time. The result is a scheduling system that adjusts your calendar events in real time based on deadlines and prioritized tasks. Use this AI-powered productivity tool if you’re managing multiple projects at once and craving more time for deep work.
Pricing: Annual billing starts at $19 per month for individuals and $12 per user per month for small businesses (up to 15 users).
Calendly
If you’ve ever “grabbed a few minutes” on a fellow entrepreneur’s calendar, you’ve probably interacted with Calendly. Calendly has become popular for its integrations with Google Calendar, Outlook, iCloud, and Zoom. This scheduling tool simplifies back-and-forth communication between meeting participants—users simply set their availability and share scheduling links with participants to set up meetings, appointments, and interviews. Calendly then helps users find mutually available meeting times.
Pricing: Calendly’s basic features are free; paid plans start at $10 per month (billed annually).
Reclaim.ai
Reclaim.ai is a smart calendar app with a range of functionalities. It’s designed to find the best meeting time for all attendees, and it auto-reschedules based on priorities and dependencies. It also allows you to enter your preferred habits (focus time, personal project time, etc.), and it automatically works them into your schedule on a consistent basis.
Features like scheduling links, multi-calendar syncing, and built-in buffer time make Reclaim.ai ideal if you’re juggling both quick tasks and long-term projects alongside your meetings.
Pricing: Offers a free plan; paid tiers start at $8 per seat per month (annual billing, up to 10 users).
Trevor AI
Trevor AI’s interface allows you to drag day-to-day tasks from your to-do list to your calendar. Trevor’s AI scheduling assistant creates suggested calendar blocks for tasks based on your preferences, habits, and availability. The more you use Trevor, the more attuned its scheduling suggestions become to your workflow.
Pricing: Free plan available; its paid plan is $5 per month when billed annually.
Clockwise
The Clockwise intelligent scheduling app works across teams—learning their preferences and habits over time. As Clockwise trains using your team’s calendars, it can generate optimized rescheduling proposals based on task priorities and convert your availability into a shareable text-based list.
Pricing: Clockwise offers a free plan; paid tiers start at $6.75 per user per month.
Katch
By ditching scheduling links and interacting with you via email and messaging apps, Katch supports scheduling the way a traditional assistant might. When you loop Katch into an email or WhatsApp thread discussing a potential meeting, Katch checks your Google calendar. The AI scheduling assistant then suggests potential meeting times and creates a calendar event based on the agreed-upon time. This human-like assistant reduces scheduling conflicts and automates follow-up communication. You can even text Katch to push meetings and notify participants when you’re running late.
Pricing: Katch costs 99¢ per month.
Clara
Clara leverages natural language processing (NLP) to schedule conversations via email. When you cc Clara, it responds to meeting requests on your behalf—suggesting ideal times, sending invitations, rescheduling meetings, and automatically following up post-meeting. Clara’s human-like communication style and intelligent scheduling make it a great choice for email-heavy entrepreneurs who need a 24/7 assistant.
Pricing: Contact Clara for a quote.
AI scheduling assistant FAQ
Is there an AI assistant for scheduling?
Yes, there are multiple AI assistants designed for scheduling. AI scheduling assistants automate important tasks like syncing multiple calendars, coordinating between team members, and scheduling meetings. Popular assistants include Motion, Calendly, and Trevor AI.
Is there an AI that can make a schedule?
There are several AI tools that can help make an efficient, well-organized schedule. Popular AI assistants like Clara, Reclaim.AI, and Clockwise can help you craft a schedule based on tasks, preferences, and availability.
How can AI be used in scheduling?
AI can be used to schedule meetings, coordinate between team members, and sync disparate calendars. It can also be leveraged to create an efficient work schedule or manage a project by breaking it into smaller tasks scheduled over time.
What can an AI scheduling assistant do?
While capabilities vary by tool, many AI scheduling assistants can sync calendars, suggest ideal meeting times for all participants, convert time zones, automate meeting reminders and follow-ups, and prioritize tasks within a broader project.
