How to Spot and Remove AI Bots from Your Zoom Meetings

How to Spot and Remove Unwanted AI Bots from your Zoom Meetings or Webinars

If you have seen participants in your Zoom meeting or webinar listed as "Fireflies.ai" or "Read.ai" or "Otter.ai", it means a third-party AI bot has joined your meeting. 

These tools may obtain private information during a Zoom meeting when appropriate security controls are not in place. For these reasons, use of unapproved AI assistants or tools in any UMN environment is prohibited. As a meeting host, you can remove the AI assistant in the same way you would remove a meeting participant.

Many people do not realize that these tools have access to their Zoom account. If the participant box has a meeting participant's name associated with the AI tool, do not assume they know it is connected to their account.

How to Remove a Third-Party AI App from Your Google Account

If you have granted third-party AI app access to your Google Account, follow these steps to remove access:

1. Go to Google Account Settings.
2. Select Security on the Left Hand toolbar.
3. Scroll down to find Your connections to third-party apps & services.
4. Select any third-party AI tools (Otter.ai, Firefly.ai, etc.) and select Delete all connections you have with [AI Tool name].

What you can do as a meeting participant

If you notice an unwanted bot in a Zoom meeting, your ability to remove it may be limited as a participant. In many cases - especially meetings not hosted by the UMN, only the host has the controls to remove a bot. It is important to notify the host about the bot's presence so they can take appropriate action. For UMN-hosted meetings, ask the host to remove the bot. Ensuring the host is aware of the situation helps maintain the security and integrity of the meeting.  

What Is a UMN-Approved AI Assistant for Zoom?

The Zoom AI Companion is an approved, secure tool to use in place of third-party AI tools.

Article by Karen Matthes, Extension Learning Technologies, klm@umn.edu