Misinformation bots are smarter than we thought

Bots spreading misinformation are using more sophisticated techniques, like going after specific human influencers and targeting misleading information within the first few seconds of it being posted, according to new studies.

1. Focus on speed: Bots amplify questionable content in the early spreading moments before it goes viral, like the first few seconds after an article is first published on Twitter.
2. Using specific targets: Bots increase exposure to negative and inflammatory content on social media in part by targeting specific people.
3. Elevating human content: Bots aim to exploit human-generated content, because it is more prone to polarization.
4. Targeting original posts, not replies: Bots spread low-credibility content that is created through an initial tweet or posting.