Bots, Bots, Bots – What’s The Difference?

“As the title of this paper so aptly points out, there’s an array of bots that are entering and have entered the general public’s domain: chatbots, companion bots, mental health bots, toy bots, and previous bots that society had to contend with pre-AI, like spam bots and e-commerce bots. However, when we examine the literature and legislation, many of these bots are ill-defined: articles refer to chatbots when they really mean mental health bots, or companion bots when they mean chatbots, and so on. This paper examines how leaders across industry, academia, and government define these bots, what bots can and can’t do, and why a comprehensive, succinct definition of these systems matters for a safe and secure AI landscape.

“This paper draws on open-source research on chatbot legislation across all 50 states, leading academic research, surveys from organizations in the digital safety ecosystem, and the tech companies developing this technology. We will begin by examining meaning and attempt to parse distinctions between the various bots mentioned above. After that, we will conclude with the importance of definition-making in legal systems and how robust definitions will help ensure a long-standing bot safety ecosystem in regulatory regimes in the U.S. and beyond.”