One automated program, WSJT-Z, has been downloaded 75K times. It's everywhere.
Concerning automated (robotic) QSOs, the rules for DXCC and WAS say both ends of the QSOs must be human initiated.
For the person running the robot, he or she is on the honor system and needs to obey the rule.
However for the other end, there is no sure way for a human who initiates a QSO to know he or she is working a robot. In most cases they will never know. This is an unenforceable rule.
It seems to me anyone who humanly initiates a QSO should get credit for it. They started the QSO, their station sent and received the signal. Any award should be issued to them under the call they used.
