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. 

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.

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 participant.

Remove an AI bot from a Zoom meeting (meeting host)

1. Click Participants
2. Locate the .ai bot in the participant list
3. Click the ... More button next to the bot
4. Click Remove

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.

How to check and 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].

Persistent AI apps

If you can't seem to remove a bot from following you into Zoom meetings, you may have set up an account without knowing it. Go to the AI bot website and follow their instructions to delete your account (e.g. How to delete your fireflies account). Contact the UMN technology helpdesk if you need assistance with removing a bot. 

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