Big Brother 22: The Person Who Plays Zingbot, Explained

Big Brother‘s Zingbot incarnations have had their fair share of roasts on  Big Brother and is always prepared to dish out the dirt on competitors. The robot’s voice decided to reveal that of course, the robot doesn’t do the talking. It’s just a person in a costume, while a remote speaker delivers the insults to the contestants. The person inside needs to take care of themselves and not pass out.

We can admit that sometimes Zingbot’s comments were out of line on the show. Some insults ranged from comments about people’s weight to their lack of social life, which is doubly ironic given the pandemic. Fans thought so as well and gave their opinions, sometimes in a fit of righteous fury. After the robot’s debut on season 12, we got an exposure to its sharp tongue. Even viewers who disliked contestants such as Josh Martinez felt that Zingbot went too far with comments about him or other contestants.

Former Big Brother contestant Andy Herren, in a tweet, explained that there is no fancy AI. It’s all just an extra effect to add entertainment to the show. Britney Haynes mentioned that a woman in the costume once passed out during filming, and emergency technicians had to come onto the set to help her. Britney Haynes mentioned that a woman in the costume once passed out during filming, and emergency technicians had to come onto the set to help her. Different people dress up, the way cast members do in Disney World and other theme parks.

Real robots these days are becoming more advanced and less expensive; even so, it sometimes makes more sense to fake an AI for a reality show than to create one. We aren’t at the point where an AI can steal the show, and they can prove to be unpredictable. It doesn’t help that shows like Black Mirror warn us about the dangers of becoming overdependent on these technologies.

Zingbot is well known, and the contestants certainly know that someone is inside the robot, even if they know the person. It is no GLaDOS, which screws over the player during Portal for no reason other than to mess with you. There is always a reason for each word, and logic towards the insults. We at least know that no AIs are being used to create these messages organically. There is a man behind the curtain, and a person in the robot.