Is Social Bot Socializing? Evidence from a Microblogging Platform

39 Pages Posted: 16 Apr 2024 Last revised: 29 Apr 2024

See all articles by Yang Gao

Yang Gao

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Gies College of Business

Maggie Mengqing Zhang

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Mikhail Lysyakov

University of Rochester Simon School of Business

Date Written: April 6, 2024

Abstract

Leveraging advancements in large language models, social media platforms are deploying sophisticated chatbots, termed social bots, with the potential to stimulate user interaction. However, concerns linger regarding the socializing value of these bots in public settings. We investigate this phenomenon using the data from the launch of CommentRobot on a microblogging platform. Analyzing user interactions with this platform-owned bot, we find that posts receiving bot comments experience increased user engagement, indicating the socializing value of social bots at the post level. Our findings suggest that bot comment quality significantly influences user engagement. Moreover, we evaluate the effectiveness of bot targeting strategies and propose improvements to optimize user engagement. Despite the positive impact on post-level engagement, we find no significant effects on users' future posting behavior, contrary to platform expectations. Theoretically, this study contributes to the literature on social bots and to the "Computers are Social Actors" framework by empirically validating relevant constructs in a novel context. Practically, this study underscores the need for nuanced bot interaction strategies and careful evaluation of their impact on user behavior to maximize engagement in social media platforms.

Keywords: AI, CASA, Chatbot, LLM, Social Bot, Social Media

Suggested Citation

Gao, Yang and Zhang, Maggie and Lysyakov, Mikhail, Is Social Bot Socializing? Evidence from a Microblogging Platform (April 6, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4786302 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4786302

Yang Gao (Contact Author)

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Gies College of Business ( email )

1206 South 6th Street
IL 61820

Maggie Zhang

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ( email )

HOME PAGE: http://mz44zhang.github.io

Mikhail Lysyakov

University of Rochester Simon School of Business ( email )

Rochester, NY 14627
United States

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