Good bot vs. bad bot: Opportunities and consequences of using automated software in corporate communications

Abstract

The paper attempts to lay a foundation for research on the use of bots in corporate communications. The first step is to identify opportunities and challenges that may offer starting points for future regulations. In this research project, expert interviews were conducted in the form of guideline-based telephone interviews. A total of ten experts from the scientific community and experts from the practical field were interviewed. Following this, a qualitative-reductive content analysis was conducted with the aim of building categories and hypotheses based on them. The results show that experts from the scientific community and practical field clearly see advantages for corporate communications, but also highlight hurdles and ethical challenges that are currently seen as a major barrier to the use of bots. In this context, experts mention, among other things, the assumption of structured routine tasks, ensuring efficiency and quality in corporate communications, cost efficiency and relieving employees. On the other hand, weaknesses, like the lack of transparency, data protection and loss of control arise. Results clearly show that the ethical perspective has to be taken into account. In this context, data protection, the question of responsibility and possible manipulation intentions are particularly worth mentioning.