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How to stop AI note takers joining meetings

Deepu Nair· CEO, Sunnyside AIUpdated 12 Nov 20264 min

The short answer

Remove the bot from the participant list, the same way you remove any guest. If you are not the host, type its stop command in the meeting chat. To stop it coming back, ask the person whose calendar sent it to turn off auto-join. If you want notes without any bot, Sunnyside AI listens on your own computer.

The steps

  1. 01
    Spot the botIt shows in the participant list under a name like Otter Notetaker, Fireflies Notetaker or Read.
  2. 02
    In ZoomHost or co-host: open Participants, click More next to the name, choose Remove, and confirm.
  3. 03
    In TeamsOrganizer or presenter: open People, use the options next to the name, then Remove from meeting. You can also Deny it in the lobby.
  4. 04
    In Google MeetOpen Show everyone, then More actions next to the name, then Remove from the call. With Host management on, only a host or co-host can.
  5. 05
    Keep it out next timeUse the lobby or waiting room. In Meet, set Meeting access to Restricted and untick the box that lets anyone ask to join.
  6. 06
    Ask the person who invited itA bot only joins because someone's account sent it. Ask them to turn auto-join off.

Otter.ai

  1. 01
    Type stop otter in the chatAnyone can, even without an Otter account. It removes every Otter Notetaker in that meeting.
  2. 02
    Or remove it as a participantHosts do it as for any guest. Otter points to each platform's own steps.
  3. 03
    Or use the link it posts in chatClick Stop Notetaker, then Yes, turn it off. It works only if the account owner left that setting on.
  4. 04
    Owner: switch auto-join offOn the home page open Meetings, then AI Notetaker settings, and pick Meetings I manually select.
  5. 05
    Delete what it recordedOnly the owner of a conversation can delete it. It goes to Trash for 30 days, then is removed.

Fireflies.ai

  1. 01
    Remove it from the participant listZoom: Participants, More, Remove. Meet and Teams: the menu next to its name. It shows as Fireflies Notetaker.
  2. 02
    Type /ff leave in the chatFireflies lists this command. Its pages disagree on which platforms it works on, so check it in your meeting.
  3. 03
    Use the email, if it cameIf the host turned on email notices, guests get a decline link about an hour before the meeting.
  4. 04
    Owner: switch auto-record offSettings, then Recording & Privacy, then switch off Auto-record meetings. Or remove fred@fireflies.ai from the guest list.
  5. 05
    Remove it fastFireflies says that if it is removed in the first 3 minutes, it makes no transcript or notes.

Read AI

  1. 01
    Deny it at the doorTeams: choose Deny in the lobby. Meet: open People, the three dots, then Deny entry.
  2. 02
    Or remove it after it joinsZoom: Participants, More, Remove. Teams: People, the options menu, Remove from meeting. Meet: People, the three dots, Remove from the call.
  3. 03
    Type Read stop or Opt out in the chatRead stop makes it leave and write a report. Opt out makes it leave and delete everything, with no report. Anyone can use them.
  4. 04
    Use the opt-out email, if it cameIf the inviter's workspace turned it on, outside guests get an Opt Out of Recording button by email.
  5. 05
    Owner: turn off Add Read?In the Read calendar, find the meeting and switch it off, for this meeting or the whole series. Do it at least 15 minutes ahead.

Which way to choose

Removing a bot fixes one meeting. Stopping it at the source fixes the next ones. Taking notes yourself means you do not depend on either.

Compared onRemove it in the callStop it at the sourceSunnyside AI
Who does itThe host, co-host or organizerThe person whose calendar sent the botYou, for your own notes
How long it lastsThat meeting onlyUntil they turn auto-join back onEvery call you take
What others seeThe bot joined, then leftNothingNo extra name in the participant list
If you are only a guestIt depends on your role in the meetingYes, if you can reach themYes, it runs on your computer

Limits

  • Sunnyside AI does not remove or block anyone else's note taker.
  • It does not stop another person from recording the call.
  • It does not give you a video file.
  • It runs on a Mac or Windows computer, not on a phone or a tablet.
Discovery call · meet.google.com18:42
Claire Dunn on a video callClaire Dunn · Meridian Group
18:42
“Can you send the security document by Thursday?”
Draft ready: the security document to Claire, due Thursday, with the date in the subject.
From your notes · 3 s after Claire said it

On a real call, this is what you would see

Sunnyside AI writes the notes while the call is fresh, and no bot joins.

Try Sunnyside AI free

Questions people ask

Can I stop a bot I did not invite?

Yes, if you are the host or have the role to remove people. Otherwise type its stop command in the chat or ask the person who invited it.

Does removing the bot delete what it recorded?

It depends on the tool. Read deletes everything on Opt out. Fireflies makes nothing if it is removed in the first 3 minutes. Otter's help does not say, so ask the account owner to delete the conversation.

Can I block every bot?

In Google Meet, set Meeting access so that people cannot ask to join. Bots that ask to join are denied. In Zoom, admins can allow or block Marketplace apps. We found no Teams switch that blocks third-party note takers.

Why does the bot keep coming back?

Because someone's auto-join is still on, or a second account of theirs has it. Remove it from the event's guest list and ask them to check.

Is it legal for a bot to record a meeting?

It depends on where each person is. Tell people at the start of the call and ask.