Yes but I think bots can be very good, and many people have legitimate online-only relationships. It gets hairy quickly, with real users getting culled and bots slipping through.
Also, if the bots are smart, they'll add real people too and take them down with them.
Yeah that’s the trade off of this implementation. Lobste.rs already uses this implementation
https://lobste.rs/about#invitations
The comments are considerably better. I’m not even a member but get more out of reading those comments than hn, and I’ve worked at multiple YC’s. This place is not what it used to be.
Also, if the bots are smart, they'll add real people too and take them down with them.