As AI continues to dominate the broader internet landscape, users have begun asking questions about the legitimacy of their interactions online. In this episode, our expert talks to us about what it was like to build social media bots that, on the one hand, helped his clients gain millions of followers and, on the other, damage the authenticity of online experiences. We also discuss the aspects of cybersecurity that social media users should be aware of as well as how providing your information—or your account!—to a third party can lead to pernicious consequences.
Expert: Tim O’Hearn
Tim O’Hearn is a software engineer who works in quantitative finance. He is also an entrepreneur and freelance writer who recently published his debut novel, Framed: A Villain’s Perspective on Social Media. Currently the #1 New Release and #1 Bestseller in “Social Aspects of the Internet,” Framed is a collection of research and essays that tell the story of the development from the early 00s internet to the Instagram boom in 2017 through Tim’s social media growth side hustle. In addition to his engineering work, Tim has also written a myriad of book reviews and covered events such as the 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
