[infurl]

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/a32082596/zoombot-artificial-intelligence-zoom-meetings/

Zoom has had a hell of a month. First, in the wake of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the world collectively embraced the video-conferencing tool because it fosters human connection (hello, virtual happy hours!). But then, employers started bombarding workers with non-stop video meetings, and we rapidly became aware of the myriad security concerns that come with using the app.

If you're constantly being tied up in lengthy video calls for work, you need the Zoombot. It's a video chatbot that can be hooked up to your Zoom meetings and stand in for you while you relax by the pool or head to the bathroom.

To build his bot, Reed recorded himself in Quicktime looking quizzical, confused, opening his mouth, and smiling, and took screenshots. When these images cycle through, it almost looks like Reed has a poor connection—and he programmed his bot to say as much.

There are more details in the article and you can find all the source code and instructions about how to set up your own Zoombot on the developer's github account.

https://github.com/mcreed/zoombot