Robby Starbuck has initiated a lawsuit against Google, alleging that its AI search tools incorrectly associated him with sexual assault allegations and white nationalist Richard Spencer. This legal action marks Starbuck’s second case involving a major tech company over its AI systems. Previously, in April, he filed a lawsuit against Meta, claiming that its AI had falsely suggested his involvement in the January 6th Capitol attack and falsely stated he had been arrested for a misdemeanor. That case concluded with a settlement wherein Meta hired Starbuck as an advisor to address perceived ideological and political biases in its chatbot.
Google’s spokesperson, José Castañeda, stated that the company will assess the complaint upon receipt. He noted that many of the allegations pertain to “hallucinations” produced by Bard, Google’s AI model, an issue acknowledged by the company and common to large language models (LLMs). Castañeda emphasized that while they strive to mitigate misleading outputs, users can sometimes prompt chatbots to generate inaccurate information.
The specifics of the settlement with Meta remain undisclosed, but it aligns with a series of strategic hires aimed at addressing concerns from conservative circles. The likelihood of success for Starbuck’s lawsuit remains uncertain.
Additionally, the Wall Street Journal highlights a lack of successful defamation claims in the U.S. courts involving AI chatbots. In a 2023 case, conservative radio host Mark Walters sued OpenAI, asserting that ChatGPT had defamed him by linking him to fraud and embezzlement allegations. The court ruled in favor of OpenAI, citing Walters’ failure to demonstrate “actual malice.” The evolving nature of LLMs and AI technologies contributes to the absence of established legal precedents.
Starbuck has filed his lawsuit in the Delaware Superior Court, seeking $15 million in damages from Google. He may also be aiming for a position of influence within the company, similar to what he secured at Meta.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/804494/anti-diversity-activist-robby-starbuck-is-suing-google-now