Robby Starbuck, a conservative activist, has been appointed as an advisor to Meta, with a specific role focused on addressing perceived ideological and political biases within the company’s AI chatbot. This appointment follows a legal settlement between Starbuck and Meta, which resulted from a lawsuit he filed over incorrect claims made by Meta AI, suggesting he was connected to the January 6th Capitol riot.
Starbuck has actively campaigned against organizations implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, affecting companies such as Tractor Supply, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson, all of which have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs. He has alleged that he learned about Meta AI’s erroneous output after a dealer from Harley-Davidson shared a screenshot showing the chatbot incorrectly linking him to the Capitol riot and QAnon.
In the context of President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing “woke” elements within AI, Starbuck is expected to guide Meta in mitigating biases. A joint statement from Meta and Starbuck expressed optimism about the collaboration: “Since engaging on these important issues with Robby, Meta has made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias,” the statement noted.
In a recent CNBC interview, Starbuck refrained from disclosing whether Meta provided financial compensation to settle his lawsuit. He emphasized the broader implications of AI biases, stating, “I’m one person, but this could cause a lot of problems across the entire industry when it comes to elections and political bias, and we wanted to be leaders in solving this problem.” Earlier this year, Meta also settled a lawsuit by paying $25 million related to the suspension of former President Donald Trump’s accounts.
Other individuals have pursued legal action over defamation claims against AI chatbots. For instance, conservative radio host Mark Walters filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in 2023, contending that ChatGPT incorrectly accused him of misappropriating funds from a nonprofit organization. In May, a judge ruled in favor of OpenAI, granting summary judgment and dismissing the defamation claim.
