On March 14, invited by the FOB, Professor Xi Chen from the School of Management at Zhejiang University held a special lecture titled “Who Dominates Social Influence? Impact Differences of Humans and Bots in Online Social Networks” in Ho Yin Convention Centre. This presentation shared the ongoing research findings of Professor Chen's team, aiming to explore the differences in influence between social bots and humans in online social networks and their effects on human attitudes.

Professor Chen began by introducing the widespread application of social bots on social media platforms. He pointed out that with the proliferation of social media, social bots have become an integral part of online social networks. These bots, driven by algorithms, can mimic human behavior, express attitudes or emotions, and have the capability to shape consensus, thereby generating potential social influence.

Next, Professor Chen elaborated on the existing gaps in research regarding the influence of social bots. Although previous studies have examined the influence of algorithm-driven social bots in binary contexts (such as comparisons between human and bot influencers in laboratory or field settings), there remains limited exploration of social bots' influence within online networks. To address this gap, Professor Chen posed a critical research question: What are the differences in social network patterns between social bots and human influencers? Additionally, do social bots exert a greater influence than human influencers?

To investigate these questions, Professor Chen employed rigorous research methods to assess the differences in influence between social bots and humans in social networks. His team found that both social bots and human influencers significantly impacted users' attitudes. Users' attitudes often aligned with those of the influencers they followed. Furthermore, social bots were more likely to exert greater influence in certain situations, such as when sharing content rather than creating original content.

Finally, Professor Chen provided insights into future research directions. His team plans to further optimize their models and continue exploring the influence differences of social bots across various social contexts and cultural backgrounds, aiming to provide scientific evidence for the management and policy-making of social media platforms.

This lecture not only offered attendees a deeper understanding of the influence of social bots but also sparked further academic discussions on the complexities of online social networks. As research progresses, there is hope for a more comprehensive understanding of the role and impact of social bots in modern society.