I've watched him long enough to know the audience is spontaneous; after all he's called the audience out from time to time for 'oh, that you boo?' Or, 'a little slow on that one, huh?' Live 'relatively robotic' audience i know .. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1998/01/lite-night-bill-maher/ . Don't know if managed reaction is ever supplemented by canned, it sure sounds like it is. If not the same show, likely similar setup.