Is Social Bot Socializing? Evidence from a Microblogging Platform

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.