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The first type of bot worth noting, and one of the most widespread on- and offline, is the social bot. In the broadest sense, social bots¹³ (like the other types of bots we have discussed) are automated computer programs, but this subcategory of bots is specifically designed to interact with humans. For example, ELIZA, the conversational computer program that imitated a psychotherapist, could be considered an early social bot (Weizenbaum, 1966). Recently, though, the term has taken on a very specific meaning in the popular imagination: since social media appeared in the 2000s, the term has increasingly come to mean computer programs that pose as humans on websites and social media, often designed to promote/criticize a specific product, politician, or message.

Social bots can converse with other users on social media, but they can also be used for other purposes. Votebots can skew the results of online polls. As fake followers, social bots can be used to artificially inflate the popularity of celebrities and politicians. They can skew social media trends by promoting or amplifying content, such as commercial products or political messages. Using the same amplification techniques, they can drown out content their designers do not approve of. “Benign” or creative bots promote art or make jokes. In short, social bots are as diverse as humans.