AI 中文总结
研究利用3389个机器人数据集，基于多特征构建Reddit机器人分类法，聚类分析出18种类型，时间分析发现数量和活动在COVID-19期间前后变化，物种多样性稳定，揭示在线机器人种群构成演变的数字生态系统。
AI 中文摘要
自动化代理越来越多地参与在线社区，但其种群结构和角色仍知之甚少。我们使用包含3389个已识别机器人及其完整活动历史的数据集，基于时间、社区、语言和语义特征，构建了新闻聚合和社交媒体平台Reddit上机器人“物种”的分类法。聚类分析揭示了18种不同的机器人类型，涵盖内容专业化、行为驱动和基础设施角色。时间分析表明，机器人数量和活动在COVID-19期间达到峰值之前迅速增长，甚至在Reddit 2023年API政策变化之前就开始下降。然而，机器人物种的总体多样性保持稳定。这些发现表明在线机器人种群形成了不断演变的数字生态系统。
英文摘要
Automated agents increasingly participate in online communities, yet their population structure and roles remain poorly understood. Using a dataset of 3,389 identified bots and their full activity histories, we construct a taxonomy of bot "species" on the news aggregation and social media platform Reddit based on temporal, community, linguistic, and semantic features. Clustering analysis reveals 18 distinct bot types spanning content-specialized, behavior-driven, and infrastructural roles such as moderation and utility support. In addition, temporal analysis shows that bot numbers and activity expanded rapidly before peaking around the COVID-19 period, then started declining even before Reddit's 2023 API policy changes. However, the overall diversity of bot species has remained remarkably stable. These findings suggest that online bot populations form evolving digital ecosystems.
Comments19 pages, 8 figures, supplementary material included
