Bots have been added for the pre alpha. And world that has a player will spawn bots as long as the player count is below 5. These bots run around, do world events, collect resources, and upgrade their gear. Some may attack you on site, others will run, others will fight back if attacked. These are just to make the world feel more alive. They do not fly ships but may drive ground vehicles.
Player cities now spawn NPC's to make them feel more alive. The more buildings, the more NPC's.
Ask me for help getting the game setup in your living room.