Some Twitter users have hundreds of thousands of followers. Wow, they must be really important celebrities. Or maybe they have interesting and influential ideas. Or maybe they’ve just paid for a few thousand follow bots to puff themselves up. Isn’t that . . . cheating? Not according to technology researcher danah boyd, and she explains …

Continue reading Bots that fluff: danah boyd on bot-hating and Twitter

Today, robots and AI-enabled devices can vacuum your carpets, remind you to water your plants, or give you a weather forecast for next week’s trip to Disneyland. But can a robot commiserate with you at the end of a hard day or applaud you for a personal triumph? Well, maybe not yet, but soon, for …

Continue reading Bots that care: Arielle Pardes on personal support chatbots