What Is the Purpose of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media?

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) has long ceased to be the subject of open discussions and

theories. It has turned into a relevant and frequently used technology for developing rapidly and has

already affected almost all industries and areas of activity. Accordingly, AI has also not bypassed

social media. Since their inception in the early 2000s, social media have completely changed the

world, from interactions between people to companies and customers. In recent days, consumers

have spent an average of 2.5 hours a day on social networks and messengers [ CITATION Mil21 \l

2057 ]. Therefore, social media continues to evolve, reaching both individuals and large companies.

At the same time, artificial intelligence is becoming a technology that can change the social media

space in a significant way and provide users and owners of these platforms with additional benefits.

The use of AI in social media is a somewhat innovative strategy that is only gaining momentum.

Accordingly, there is significant interest in existing practices and developments that allow finding

out what heights AI has reached in this area today. In this regard, this paper focuses on deepening

the use of artificial intelligence in social media and platforms. In particular, the main research

questions are the following:

 What is the purpose of artificial intelligence (AI) in social media?

 How can artificial intelligence (AI) be useful in social media?

 How is artificial intelligence (AI) transforming social media?

Within the framework of the research questions posed, the research has several objectives.

First of all, it is necessary to turn to the general discussion of the role of artificial intelligence in

social media. The next aim is to concretize artificial intelligence goals, advantages, and benefits as

an advanced technology in the digital social space.

 Literature Review

A Brief History of the Development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

It had believed that the founders of artificial intelligence were Marvin Minsky and Douglas

Engelbart of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, Massachusetts [CITATION

Chr21 \l 2057 ]. However, the very phrase “artificial intelligence” was coined by John McCarthy, a

professor at Stanford University in California [ CITATION And11 \l 2057 ]. McCarthy created the

Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (SAIL), an AI development center on the West Coast of

the United States [ CITATION And11 \l 2057 ]. The technologies that drove the development of

artificial intelligence at that time were extremely primitive compared to today’s tools like neural

networks. However, they did perform, at least at the most rudimentary level, tasks requiring human

intelligence. Most of the early developments in artificial intelligence are based on so-called expert

systems [ CITATION Roc17 \l 2057 ].

The history of artificial intelligence had two prolonged periods of hibernation when progress

was frozen in this field for many years. Both times, this situation took place due to inflated

expectations from new developments followed by disappointment and funding cessation. The first

period lasted from 1974 to 1980 and was triggered by three events [ CITATION Viv21 \l 2057 ]. First

of all, it was Sir James Lighthill’s report of 1073 to the British government, which criticized the vast

number of plans of the scientific community involved in artificial intelligence and the failure of

these scientists to come close to fulfilling their promises. In addition, the so-called Mansfield

Amendment, which was passed in the United States, required the Advanced Research Projects

Agency (ARPA, now known as DARPA) to fund only projects with clearly defined goals and

objectives and give preference to defense orders. However, at that time, artificial intelligence could

not meet all of these constraints. Finally, the key AI project for ARPA, which allowed fighter pilots

to talk to their planes, was heading toward total failure. All these events led to a significant part of

the funding being withdrawn, and the very expression “artificial intelligence” went out of popularity
for a long time. The second period of stagnation for artificial intelligence lasted from 1987 to 1993.

It was mainly caused by the failure of expert systems of the 1985 model to satisfy the overestimated

expectations of many corporations, which spent billions of dollars on improving this technology

[ CITATION Viv21 \l 2057 ]. Ultimately, expert systems turned out to be too complex to develop,

build, and run on a computer. This fact made them prohibitively expensive; accordingly, they

quickly lost popularity in the early 1990s, which was also contributed by the simultaneous collapse

of the companion hardware market, the Lisp machines. In turn, in Japan, in 1981, there was the start

of a program worth hundreds of millions of dollars to develop a fifth-generation computer that could

conduct conversations, translate languages, interpret pictures, and reason like people. However, even

after ten years, this project failed to achieve any of its goals. Even though in 1983, DARPA began

funding artificial intelligence projects in the United States again in response to Japan’s ambitious

plans, these donations ended in 1987 when new leadership came to DARPA’s Information

Technology Division. Thus, it directed efforts and funds for the development of artificial

intelligence, supercomputers, and microelectronics. The new executives concluded that artificial

intelligence was not the relevant technology.

Then, the colossal amount of data available in the world became the first of the driving

forces that rekindled huge interest and created the highest activity in the field of artificial

intelligence [ CITATION EdB211 \l 2057 ]. Experts name different numbers, but they all agree that the

amount of data generated by humanity doubles every two years [ CITATION Kev21 \l 2057 ].

Artificial intelligence uses this massive amount of data to create value in the broadest sense. Another

important aspect concerning the avalanche-like accumulation and use of data is that they completely

transform the usual business models. For example, Google and Facebook were not created as data

collection and artificial intelligence companies; nevertheless, they quickly became business giants

[CITATION Chr21 \l 2057 ]. In this regard, interest in AI has grown markedly over the past two

decades. The AI market, including hardware and software, is projected to reach $327 billion in

2021, up 16% from the previous year [ CITATION Nee21 \l 2057 ]. In this case, the advent of faster

computers and the rapid development of machine learning and big data technologies are driving this
growth. In turn, artificial neural networks have simplified such tasks as video processing, text

analysis, and speech recognition; moreover, already existing methods of solving the problems are

being improved every year.

Artificial Intelligence and Social Media

According to the forecast of the analytical agency Mordor Intelligence website, the market

for artificial intelligence (AI) in social media will show annual growth of 28.7% from 2021 to

2026[ CITATION Raj21 \l 2057 ]. According to the analysts, this growth will occur due to extensive

data and strong demand for social media marketing. Researchers also point out that AI is used in all

social media without exception [ CITATION Mic16 \l 2057 ]. There are many examples of how

artificial intelligence is applied in the digital social space today. For instance, on Instagram, the AI

warns a user when the latter is about to post an angry comment under another member’s photo or

video [ CITATION Mir19 \l 2057 ]. In turn, Facebook uses AI to mimic the behavior of people who

violate social media rules[ CITATION Mus20 \l 2057 ]. The particular simulation is a complete copy

of an entire social network; however, it is populated by bots that insult each other, use foul language,

sell weapons and drugs, and publish prohibited content. As conceived by the developers, such a

version should teach algorithms to identify violators of the rules. AI is also used to recognize users’

faces: as soon as a person uploads a photo to social media, the algorithm looks for an image or video

of the specific people. In addition, AI protects accounts from hacking [ CITATION Tom20 \l 2057 ].

Regarding artificial intelligence on Twitter, it shows the most exciting posts to a user based

on their previous activity and moderates the messages for fake news [ CITATION Ell19 \l 2057 ]. As

many researchers argue, social media makes extensive use of artificial intelligence technologies to

develop their functionality, both for users' convenience and the benefit of the owner companies

themselves. Ordinary users often have no idea what information from their profiles is used, how, and

for what purposes.

 Researchers note that social media has become a place for communication and information

exchange for people worldwide. Therefore, it is pretty understandable why developers in artificial

intelligence have decided to touch these platforms and give them more functionality. Experts from

the University of Rochester have taught artificial intelligence to understand what emotions prevail in

texting on social networks [ CITATION She21 \l 2057 ]. In this regard, artificial intelligence can

recognize basic emotions by reading users’ text messages. In addition, AI can carry out similar

procedures by studying pictures or photographs that a user opens for everyone to see [ CITATION

She21 \l 2057 ]. So far, experts do not talk about the various possibilities of using this tool.

However, it undoubtedly has a lot of prospects. The leading social media may need such a service to

help establish a better relationship with users worldwide. It is also necessary to note that one of the

most significant benefits of using AI in social media is its automation capabilities. Whether it is the

automation of content creation, curation of content, or any other process, AI makes businesses much

more productive. In particular, examples of tasks for automation in social media management may

include social listening, social engagement, content scheduling, content republishing, analytics

tracking, etc. Another massive benefit of AI on social media is that it allows marketers to analyze

and track every step they take. Processes ranging from measuring ad performance to tracking user

interactions and gaining invaluable content insights are technological advancements that companie’s

value. For example, tools like Hootsuite give users powerful insights into customers and their

choices [ CITATION Soc21 \l 2057 ].

Theoretical Aspect

The leading theory chosen for this study is the theory of social exchange. The idea of social

exchange, which has become widespread among Western researchers, initially focused on the

motives that determined the communication and interaction of people in the field of economic

relations about the exchange of goods. Representatives of this theory considered both material and

spiritual values as objects of exchange. From their point of view, exchange operations, which people
in all spheres of life constantly perform, form the life of society. Therefore, the knowledge of the

mechanisms of social exchange would contribute to the regulation of social relations. Today, the

central point in the social exchange theorye is analyzing the relationship between actors (subjects of

activity) in various social structures. Individuals interact to meet their needs. Social relations and

social structures, which are generated by the bonds that bind people in multiple forms of

associations, are considered by theorists of this concept as the main objects of social research. It is

possible to assume that artificial intelligence can be regarded as one of the mechanisms regulating or

maintaining human relationships in this theory.

Research Methodology

The main objective of this study is to identify the goals and benefits of using
artificial intelligence in social media. In addition, it is necessary to understand how artificial
intelligence is changing today's social networks. In this regard, the primary method in this
research paper is the thematic review. It is a method that allows researchers to find answers
to specific research questions that interest them[ CITATION Vir13 \l 2057 ]. These
questions require a comprehensive examination of secondary literary sources, which discuss
the posed questions from their authoritative positions. This approach's basis is the
researcher's appeal to primary and secondary sources to synthesize knowledge on the topic
under study. The point required in a systematic thematic review is the quality and reliability
of the information; therefore, the sources of knowledge should include reputable or peer-
reviewed sources. 

Results

The search in scholarly databases has allowed finding a total of 16 articles that most fully

convey the goals and benefits of artificial intelligence in social media and its impact on their

transformation. The article search results are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Search results.

Authors Summary of Key Ideas

The Purposes of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media

(Thuraisingham, 2020a) Artificial intelligence keeps social media

cybersecurity and prevents fake news from
spreading.

Artificial intelligence helps to identify or

disseminate information that is important from a
security point of view, such as information about
the mood of users, which can signal their suicidal
behavior, information about dangerous diseases,
and so on.
[CITATION SMa20 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence in social media contributes to
increased safety of users, filter off harmful or
illegal content, and maintains a positive
communication space.
[ CITATION Vim18 \l 2057 ] One of the critical purposes of AI in social media is
to process massive amounts of information that
allows analysts to promptly identify impending
threats at the local or national level (for example,
natural disasters).
[ CITATION Geo19 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence allows extracting information
from social media, which can be transformed into
valuable knowledge.
[CITATION Dis19 \l 2057 ] Can use Artificial intelligence on social media to
spread political information or misinformation,
which ultimately affects the results of an election.
[ CITATION Bas20 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence can be used by small and
medium businesses to support social media
marketing efforts.
[ CITATION Rad19 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence helps conduct intelligence
operations on social media to collect data, then
used to ensure national security and crime
prevention.

(Thuraisingham, 2020b) Artificial intelligence in social media can be

applied as a tool to support cybersecurity.

The Benefits of Artificial Intelligence in Social Media

[ CITATION Sar19 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence allows optimizing many
 routine processes in social media, which, in
particular, is used by businesses to achieve greater
performance and productivity.
[ CITATION Den20 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence can replace people employed
in social media, which improves the quality of the
service.
[ CITATION Oma12 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence is an essential analytical tool
in social media because it allows collecting,
processing, and interpreting important information.
[ CITATION Zen10 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence enables content creation on
social media, thereby speeding these processes.

Artificial Intelligence and Social Media Transformation

[ CITATION Cap20 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence is changing marketing in
social media by enabling businesses to analyze the
sentiments of consumers and the needs of target
audiences.
[ CITATION Kos17 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence is changing businesses'
approaches to conducting content marketing in
social media by providing opportunities for
advertisers to create new types of ads.
[CITATION Sar18 \l 2057 ] Artificial intelligence allows changing the
algorithms and mechanisms of discussion in social
networks.
[ CITATION Pet17 \l 2057 ] People's work functions on social media are
beginning to be replaced by chatbots, driving the
productivity of these platforms.

Discussion and Conclusion

According to the study results, the found information on artificial intelligence in social

media can be divided into three topics. The first topic is the purposes of using artificial intelligence

in the digital social space. As the results from authoritative sources show, the purpose of

cybersecurity is the most important. In particular, developers of social media platforms use artificial

intelligence to eliminate various types of threats and provide supportive content that would not

contain hostile and harmful materials. This goal in its totality has several subtypes. For example, can
use artificial intelligence to ensure the safety of content consumers and social media users, which is

also supported by research from the literature review such as articles by [ CITATION Mir19 \l 2057 ],

by [ CITATION Mus20 \l 2057 ], and by [ CITATION Tom20 \l 2057 ]. In addition, artificial

intelligence is used in social networks to provide security on a local and national scale, for example,

in preventing terrorist threats or limiting the spread of diseases. Finally, AI is used in social media to

recognize uncontrolled external threats such as natural disasters. Another critical purpose of

artificial intelligence in social media is analytics. As the research results show, AI is used to process

large amounts of information that cannot analyze only by human resources. In addition, artificial

intelligence contributes to the dissemination of significant amounts of data across networks. Finally,

one of the goals of AI in the social media space is to improve the quality of marketing. In particular,

artificial intelligence is used to develop and promote advertising content, a feature that businesses

use.

Regarding the benefits of artificial intelligence in social media, it is possible to draw several

conclusions. First of all, its advantages are explained by the purposes of its use in the digital social

space. For example, it is possible to understand that using AI to analyze information is more

profitable since interested persons can access vast amounts of data they cannot process

independently. Social media is also one of the best tools for disseminating information, and AI can

do this task better than humans. However, the specific benefits that the researchers point to have also

been identified. In particular, the most important of them is the automation and optimization of

routine processes, which frees up time for human operators and increases the productivity of these

activities. Another benefit that AI brings to social media is improved service and content, explaining

how AI is transforming social space. It is important to note that the arrival of AI in social media has

led to a significant transformation in marketing, as researchers note. In particular, new tools for

promoting advertising have emerged, and discussion processes have changed and become more

efficient. In this regard, it is possible to summarize that artificial intelligence has increased the

security of social networks. Moreover, it has become a new effective analytics tool, plays the role of

a conductor of information, reduces routine processes, and positively influences marketing activities.
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