Robotization of Social Media and Its Political Implications
How to Cite
Mikhaylenok O.M., Malysheva G.A. Robotization of Social Media and Its Political Implications. Vlast’ (The Authority). 2020. Vol. 28. No. 1. P. 85-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31171/vlast.v28i1.7046 (in Russ.).
Abstract
The article analyzes the role of technologies of the fourth industrial revolution in the development of network space and online political communication. The authors believe that the consequence of social networks’ technological update is their gradual dehumanization: human users are replaced with generated virtual identities (software bots). The authors demonstrate that one of the objectives in the development of robotic network agents is the exertion of political influence and the promotion of ideological and value attitudes in the interests of certain political actors. The authors emphasized that the use of political bot technologies leads to a polarization of public sentiment and an increase in potential for conflict both in the virtual world and in an offline political space. The ethical aspects of social networks’ robotization, as well as the problems associated with identifying bots and minimizing the social and political risks of their expansion in the network environment, are studied. The authors conclude that a value-oriented approach to the development and implementation of innovative technologies is required, and that it is extremely important for professional communities, state institutions and civil society to draw attention to socio-political aspects of technological progress.
Keywords:
digital technologies, political communication, social networks, artificial intelligence, political bots, computational propaganda, information warfare
References
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Mart'yanov D.S. 2016. Politicheskie boty kak professiya. – POLITEKS (Politicheskaya ekspertiza). T. 12. № 1. S. 74-89. (RUS.)
Potseluev S.P., Podshibyakina T.A. 2018. O faktorakh politicheskoi radikalizatsii v setevoi kommunikatsii posredstvom «ekhokamer». – Nauchnaya mysl' Kavkaza. № 2(94). S. 29-34. (RUS.)
Solovei V.D. 2017. Tsifrovaya mifologiya i izbiratel'naya kampaniya Donal'da Trampa. – Polis. Politicheskie issledovaniya. № 5. S. 122-132. (RUS.)
Shvab K., Devis N. 2018. Tekhnologii Chetvertoi promyshlennoi revolyutsii (per. s angl.). M.: Eksmo. 320 s. (RUS.)
Epstein R., Robertson R.E. 2015. The Search Engine Manipulation Effect (SEME) and Its Possible Impact on the Outcomes of Elections. – PNAS. August 4. P. 512-521. URL: www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1419828112 (accessed 04.01.2020).
Obadimu A., Mead E., Al-khateeb S., Agarwal N. 2019. A Comparative Analysis of Facebook and Twitter Bots: Conference Paper. – Proceedings of the Southern Association for Information Systems Conference, St. Simon’s, Island, GA, USA. March 22nd–23rd. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333677126_A_COMPARATIVE_ANALYSIS_OF_FACEBOOK_AND_TWITTER_BOTS (accessed 04.01.2020).
Santini R.M., Agostini L., Barros C.E., Carvalho D., Centeno de Rezende R., Salles D.G., Seto K., Terra C., Tucci G. 2018. Software Power as Soft Power. – PArtecipazione e COnflitto. Vol. 11. Is. 2. P. 332-360.
The Human Consequences of Computational Propaganda. Eight Case Studies from the 2018 US Midterm Elections – Executive Summary (ed. by K. Joseff, S. Woolley). 2019. Institute for the Future, Digital Intelligence Lab. URL: http://www.iftf.org/disinfoeffects (accessed 04.01.2020).
Tsvetkova M., García-Gavilanes R., Floridi L., Yasseri T. 2017. Even Good Bots Fight: The Case of Wikipedia. – PLoS ONE. Vol. 12. No. 2: e0171774. P. 1-27.
Varol O., Ferrara E., Davis C.A., Menczer F., Flammini A. 2017. Online Human-Bot Interactions: Detection, Estimation, and Characterization. – arXiv:1703.03107v2 [cs.SI]. 27 Mar. P. 1-11. URL: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1703.03107.pdf (accessed 04.01.2020).
Woolley S.C., Howard P.N. 2016. Automation, Algorithms, and Politics| Political Communication, Computational Propaganda, and Autonomous Agents. Introduction. – International Journal of Communication. Vol. 10. P. 4882-4890.
Article
Received: 15.03.2020
Citation Formats
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APA
Mikhaylenok, O. M., & Malysheva, G. A. (2020). Robotization of Social Media and Its Political Implications. Vlast’ (The Authority), 28(1), 85-92. https://doi.org/10.31171/vlast.v28i1.7046
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GLOBALISATION AND DIGITAL SOCIETY
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