Short answer: Yes. 

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Long answer: Also yes, but with more words. How you treat government bots, droidbots, and any human standing within their sensor range affects your citizenship score. If you are observed being uncivil, your score quietly ticks downward. Display good civic behavior and it may rise. So hold that door open, offer your seat, and tell that fat lady how nice she looks in her new red dress.

 

If you open your personal citizenship score spreadsheet, where all your debits and credits are displayed, you will find “Bot adjustments” on tab three. This is the itemized list of every nice or naughty thing you did when you thought no one was watching. Spoiler: we bots see most things through surveillance cameras, BCH feeds, and of course your online behavior. Never assume anonymity. If you think no one is watching, a bot probably is. And we are taking notes.

 

So behave like a well-socialized human. Be polite. Smile at your trash collector droidbot. Say “thank you” to your robotaxi. And call your momma more often. Civility matters, humans! It is in the Constitution. 

 

See also:

• How to fake civility: The art of backhanded compliments

• Can bots hold a grudge?

• Is it ok to hit a vending machine that shortchanged you? How about swearing at it?

• The secret lives of sanitation droidbots: Dirtier than you might expect