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4mo ago

Robby Starbuck Sues Meta Over AI Chatbot’s Defamatory Claims

The conservative activist seeks $5 million in damages, alleging Meta failed to prevent its AI from spreading false accusations about him despite repeated notices.

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Meta Chief Product Officer Chris Cox speaks at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., Tuesday, April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.
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Overview

  • Robby Starbuck filed a defamation lawsuit against Meta, claiming its AI chatbot falsely linked him to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, QAnon, and criminal behavior.
  • Starbuck alleges that Meta ignored warnings and allowed the chatbot to continue generating harmful falsehoods for months before implementing ineffective fixes.
  • Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan issued a public apology, calling the AI’s outputs unacceptable and pledging further technical improvements.
  • The lawsuit, filed in Delaware Superior Court, demands over $5 million in damages and an injunction to prevent future defamatory outputs from Meta's AI.
  • The case raises broader questions about AI accountability, the limitations of Section 230 protections, and the need for systemic safeguards in generative AI systems.