Definition: social bot

(1) For physical robotic devices, see social robot.

(2) (social roBOT) A program on the Internet that generates or repeats messages on social media such as Facebook and X/Twitter with the intent to sway its audience. Bots reside in the background and automatically spring into action based on certain events. For example, the social bots that influence U.S. elections look for divisive posts on X/Twitter and resend them in huge quantities to agitate audiences. They also spread fictitious stories created in phony accounts. See bot and botnet.