I did hybrid at a company a couple years ago, and the way we solved the meeting problem was that everyone at the in-person meeting would connect via their lapto

I did hybrid at a company a couple years ago, and the way we solved the meeting problem was that everyone at the in-person meeting would connect via their laptop as well. All in-person laptops would be on mute except one, who would have a good camera that could capture the room. I found it pretty natural to _also_ look at the camera while also looking around the room, as if you were just making eye contact with a new person. And while the "highlight" border would only ever show for one in-person person, cameras are usually close enough that your eye is naturally drawn to whomever's mouth is moving.