Bots, Bias, and Influence
The Hidden Architects of Social Media
Will be published approx. on 1. July 2026
Book
Hardback
188 pages
978-1-0364-7310-5 (ISBN)
Description
Digital conversations on social media are more than just human voices. Automated agents called Bots now weave themselves into our conversations and our collective beliefs. This book takes readers on an exploration of how Bots span simple automated scripts to complex agents that mirror, magnify and manipulate human behaviour online. Drawing on rich empirical data, social psychology theories and computational modelling, it traces how Bots operate, coordinate and exert influence through narrative construction, network embedding and psychological exploitation. From harmless announcer Bots to sophisticated networked Bots operating across global geographies, this book unpacks the taxonomy of digital agents that cohabit our online spaces. It offers an interdisciplinary approach for understanding the technical capabilities of Bots and their social consequences. It speaks to scholars and curious readers alike, arguing that Bots are not merely malicious actors but sociotechnical agents capable of both harm and good, whose impact depends on how we design, govern and coexist with them.
More details
Edition
Unabridged edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Newcastle upon Tyne
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
Unabridged edition
Product notice
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 212 mm
Width: 148 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0364-7310-5 (9781036473105)
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Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Lynnette Hui Xian Ng (PhD, Carnegie Mellon University (USA)) obtained her PhD in Societal Computing, School of Computer Science. As a researcher in the Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems (CASOS) and a Knight Fellow at the Center for Informed Democracy and Social Cybersecurity (IDeaS), her research examines the automated and inauthentic behavior of social media bots. Her current work blends social psychology, network science and computer science techniques to profile the network and engagement impact of the behavioral techniques applied by different bot personas. Her work has been published in prestigious venues and won several Best Paper Awards at leading journals and conferences. This book was primarily written and illustrated by her.Kathleen M. Carley (HD, University of Zurich (Switzerland), PhD, Harvard (USA), SB, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA)) is a Professor of Societal Computing, Institute for Software Research, Carnegie-Mellon University; Director of the Center for Computational Analysis of Social and Organizational Systems (CASOS); Director of the Center for Informed Democracy and Social Cybersecurity (IDeaS); and CEO of Netanomics. Her research blends computer science and social science to address complex real-world issues such as social cybersecurity, disinformation, disease contagion, disaster response, and terrorism from a high dimensional network analytic, machine learning, and natural language processing perspective. This book was conceptualized, organized and edited by her.