Give chat bots a [bot] tag and separate them into their own user level/category
I acknowledge that some parts of this concept has been requested in general, however I would like to offer a possible solution that will solve many of the suggestions at once, as well as offer further features down the line.
---Core Suggestions---
I believe it would be beneficial to have chat bots strongly encouraged to note their account as such, and if possible, for known legitimate bots (bots that are known to serve a valid purpose, not lurk bots, stat scrapers, etc.) to be assigned a [bot] tag internally in the system, similar to how some other chat platforms handle them. This could either leverage the existing "Verified Bots" system, or preferably can be added as a generic tag to encompass other known bots that don't have or need "Verified" status if they don't actually interact with chat.
With a bot tag present, it would be good to have a separate "Bots" category underneath "Users" in the chat user list. Bots set as moderators would remain in the moderators list as usual.
---Reasoning behind why it's needed---
When researching how best to approach this issue, I read posts elsewhere from multiple users concerned about the lurking bots, especially when the bots are connected to chat when not even streaming. I personally see this with my channel, 3 bots connected 24/7, none of which I have added to my channel. Even if they are benign otherwise, having them mixed into the standard "Users" list causes many of the legitimate bots to be banned or blocked by the broadcaster or their mods without knowing their purpose, as many of the suggestions from other users is simply to mass ban. As noted in a similar suggestion from a bot developer, their bot is often found to malfunction due to users mistaking the bot as a user abusing their channel despite being a "Verified Bot", and they also receive negative or accusatory DM's.
There has also been some amounts of discouragement felt by newer streamers that see a large number of "users" in their chat list, but not have many, if any viewers.
If it is possible to integrate a bot tag, I believe legitimate bot creators would have no issue requesting that tag for their bot, in exchange for broadcasters and mods feeling safer having them present in the chat. Having the known useful bots separated would reduce the need of any further action by Twitch; it would simply give users more clarity regarding users vs bots in their chat, and empower them to make more informed decisions about banning bots that have not been compliant to add the bot tag. Such un-tagged bots would be more likely to be less desirable to have in their chat.
There have also been instances of criticism from regular users directed at the broadcaster or channel regarding the presence of bots in chat. I too have personally received this criticism as a moderator of a channel in which no decision had been made by the broadcaster to seek out and ban benign bots.
Some users are under the impression that non-viewing bots can receive gifted subs, and are dissuaded from gifting for that reason. As a channel moderator, I have personally experienced this situation unfold. If the bot tag is treated as a separate type of user level, this would confirm beyond all doubt that they would not be able to receive gift subs, and alleviate those concerns.
On a personal note, I realize that for some this may seem unnecessary, and indeed, the raw viewer experience may not change much. However, seeing bots in the list at all times or consistently just really bugs me, for lack of a better way to put it. Multiple similar requests reassure me that I'm not the only one that feels this way. I'd rather not feel the need to play whack-a-mole with recurring viewer bots posing as users, and hope that my suggestion helps the community as a whole.
---Secondary Expandability---
*Note: These suggestions would best apply if bots can be tagged as such internally.
It may be useful to also add a bot global badge automatically bound to it in chat. This can be as simple as a grey monochrome badge featuring a line drawing of a robot face, a gear, etc. This would be beneficial for bots that post to chat mentioning bot info or containing a link, as it wouldn't be mistaken as a user self-promoting.
Perhaps it can also be possible to have a channel setting to allow broadcasters to be able to hide the "Bots" category from showing for standard users, and only show for Moderators or above. This would also alleviate criticism from users regarding the presence of bots, as well as give viewers a decluttered experience.
Another possible suggestion for bots would be to limit how many streams they can be concurrently in without possessing the bot tag, or possibly be verified. This would dissuade bots being in tens of thousands of chats while serving no apparent purpose.