Elon Musk has been advocating AI use for the past decade and it seems his ideals are coming true on his platform, not just the way many people intended it.
X (formerly Twitter) has been suffering an influx of bot and spam accounts for the most part of 2023 as fake accounts flood popular posts and replies.
While many are more of an annoyance rather than an actual danger, it still depicts a bleak future on how one of the biggest social media platforms on the internet handles online discussions.
Sex Bots in the Replies
One of the common bots spotted on X right now is the multitude of fake accounts responding to popular posts and replies.
Many of the bot accounts are seen either advertising bogus investment links or the much more common online dating chats.
Oftentimes, these accounts will be responding to another bot account with boosted views thanks to other bot accounts crawling all over the platform.
Spam Bots are Here to Stay
Despite Musk and X's supposed efforts to curb the rise of AI-powered accounts on the platform, there is no indication that the spam bots will be gone soon.
With the introduction of the paid blue check subscription, these accounts are ensured to always appear on feed recommendations and at the top of the replies section.
Unless X does another platform overhaul as Musk did when he took over in 2022, there is not much change that will impact this growing ecosystem of bots.
How to Spot Bot Accounts on X
It is quite easy to spot bot accounts on the replies as they are often hidden within the "More Replies" section.
In the case that X was not able to flag the accounts as spam, a good indicator is how their user tag is modeled.
Most bots, primarily those who promote crypto scams, use a generic name + six number combinations for their account address.
Many also occasionally switch languages, primarily from English to Chinese or Vietnamese.
For bot accounts promoting OnlyFans or other paid sexual service platforms, many use AI-generated pictures of women in intimate positions.
Using a reverse image search or an AI-identification tool will provide the needed confirmation of whether the account is indeed legit or not.
