Welcome to Francis Academic Press

Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2026, 9(2); doi: 10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090208.

The Privacy Crisis of AI Invasion in Social Media: The Case of Weibo Social Bot "Robot"

Author(s)

Gongli Liu, Chunhua Zhang

Corresponding Author:
Gongli Liu
Affiliation(s)

School of Journalism, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing, China

Abstract

As artificial intelligence technology continues to evolve, social bots are becoming increasingly prevalent in social media applications. However, their potential implications for user privacy are becoming increasingly evident. This research employs semi-structured interviews to examine users' perceptions of privacy violations and corresponding protective actions during interactions with the social bot, "Robot," which was launched by Weibo in July 2023. The findings indicate substantial cognitive variations among users with regard to the privacy risks associated with the intervention of social bots in personal social content. In light of these findings, the present paper puts forth a series of recommendations in order to explore strategies that would allow for a balanced approach between the pursuit of technological innovation and the protection of privacy. These insights are intended to inform the delineation of ethical boundaries for AI in social media and the governance of user privacy.

Keywords

Human-machine interaction; Privacy protection; Social bot; Robot

Cite This Paper

Gongli Liu, Chunhua Zhang. The Privacy Crisis of AI Invasion in Social Media: The Case of Weibo Social Bot "Robot". Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 2: 52-59. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2026.090208.

References

[1] Boshmaf, Y, et al. The Social Bot Network: when Bots Socialize for fame and Money[C]. Proceedings of the 27th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference,2011, pp.93-102.

[2] Shen Qi, Wang Luyu. When "Robots" Become Social Actors: Stereotypes in Human-Machine Interaction Relationships[J].Journalism & Communication,2021,28(02):37-52+127.

[3] Shi Wen, Chen Changfeng. Distribution and Interaction Patterns: A Study on Social Robots Manipulating China-Related Topics on Twitter[J].Chinese Journal of Journalism and Communication, 2020,42(05):61-80.

[4] Gao Qiqi. Preliminary Exploration of the Intelligent Revolution and Modernization of National Governance[J].Social Sciences in China,2020,(07):81-102+205-206.

[5] Wang Liang. Preliminary Discussion on Ethical Risks of "Unidimensional Emotion" in Social Robots[J]. Studies in Dialectics of Nature,2020,36(01):56-61.

[6] Hajli N, Saeed U, Tajvidi M,et al. Social Bots and the Spread of Disinformation in Social Media: The Challenges of Artificial Intelligence[J].British Journal of Management,2021.

[7] Chen Xinyi, Mao Mingfang. Risk Issues and Governance of Social Robots[J].Journal of Hunan Administration Institute,2023,(02):78-86.

[8] Dou Xiao. Research on Ethical Issues and Policy Recommendations for Social Robots[J].Think Tank: Theory and Practice,2022,7(05):103-110.

[9] Kalukuri Princy Niveditha. AI in Social Media: Navigating the Balance between User Engagement and Misinformation[J].Innovative Research in Computer and Communication Engineering,2023.

[10] Hakimi M, Sazish B, Rastagari A M, et al. Artificial Intelligence for Social Media Safety and Security: A Systematic Literature Review[J].Studies in Media, Journalism and Communications, 2024,1(1):10-21.

[11] WESTIN A F. Privacy and freedom[M].New York:Athenum,1967:106. 

[12] C.P.Hoffmann, C.Lutz, G.Ranzini. Privacy Cynicism: A New Approach to the Privacy Paradox. [J]SSRN Electronic Journal,2016,10(4):43-60. 

[13] Draper N.A.,Turow J. The Corporate Cultivation of Digital Resignation[J].New Media & Society, 2019, pp.1824-1839. 

[14] Eva Illouz. Why Love Hurts[M].Translated by Ye Rong. Shanghai: East China Normal University Press, 2015:8,291-292.

[15] Luszczynska A, Scholz U, Schwarzer R. The general self efficacy scale: Multicultural validation studies[J]. The Journal of Psychology,2005,139(5):439-457 

[16] Latour,B. On Recalling Ant[J].The Sociological Review,1999,47(1 suppl),15-25

[17] Duffy B R. Anthropomorphism and the Social Robot[J].Robotics and Autonomous Systems, 2003, 42(3-4):177-190.

[18] Wang Liang. Ethics of Social Robots Based on Situational Experience: From "Deception"to "Benevolence"[J].Studies in Dialectics of Nature,2021,37(10):55-60.

[19] Zhang Hongzhong, Duan Zening, Han Xiu. Outcast or Symbiont: Exploring Research Pathways for Social Bots in Social Media[J].Journalism and Mass Communication,2019,(02):10-17. 

[20] Zawieska K. Deception and Manipulation in Social Robotics[EB/OL].(2019-12-10). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272474319_Deception_and_Manipulation_in_Social_Robotics.

[21] Laestadius L ,Bishop A ,Gonzalez M , et al. Too human and not human enough: A grounded theory analysis of mental health harms from emotional dependence on the social chatbot Replika[J].New Media & Society,2024,26(10):5923-5941.

[22] Yang Xiaoxiao, Wang Weiying. Mechanisms of Social Robots in the Dissemination of Online Pseudoscience Perceptions[J].Youth Journalist,2024,(02):23-30.

[23] CHENG C,LUO Y,YU C. Dynamic Mechanism of Social Bots Interfering with Public Opinion in Network[J]. Physica A:Statistical Mechanics and its Applications,2020,551:124163.

[24] Gao Shanbing, Wang Jing. The Rise, Challenges, and Reflections of Social Robots in the Era of Intelligent Communication[J].Modern Communication (Journal of Communication University of China), 2020,42(11):8-11+18.

[25] CAPPUCCIO M L,SANDOVAL E B,MUBIN O,et al. Can robots make us better humans?[J]. International Journal of Socail Robotics,2021,13(1):7-22.