Hmm, interesting question, unfortunately I have no answers..
I would probably take a few steps back and think what the automated planets want to accomplish and want restrictions/limitations they have to work in..
Will they be working together? How many of them?
Will they be in an alliance?
Will they have intel on other alliances?
Will they be working together with other alliances?
The easiest way to gain roids is to bash noobs / planets not in a tag..
But that will hardly make the game noob friendly so seems like a bad path for automated planets
Another way could be too mass init roids.. Most alliance - in my limited experience - suffer with defence because members need sleep..
Automated planets do not need this so should be able to cover pretty much every incoming.
If there is a 60 tag alliance of automated planets then it would mean a possible 180 defence fleets.. Landing an attack on that seems difficult...
Letting the automated planets attack other alliances seems a bit trickier..
The best path to a successful attack is to know who you are attacking..
If they have no intel then it would be tricky..
If they have good intel then it might become easier but might still be difficult..