Meta Appoints Anti-DEI And Anti-LGBTQ+ Conspiracy Theorist As AI Bias Advisor
Right-wing influencer Robby Starbuck has been appointed as an AI bias advisor at Meta to help the company’s chatbot be less “woke.” The announcement came after Meta settled a lawsuit filed by Starbuck, claiming that he was part of the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to MSNBC.
“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,” Meta and Starbuck said in a joint statement to Advocate.
Who is Robby Starbuck?
Starback is a former Hollywood director who gained traction last year for online campaigns against some significant American brands’ diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, support for gay Pride marches and LGBTQ events, and other social policies, as reported by CNN.
He has also pressured companies to roll back their DEI efforts, gaining some success with brands like Tractor Supply, John Deere, and Harley-Davidson, which ended their DEI initiatives after Starbucks threatened to mobilize his social media followers to boycott their products.
Walmart announced that it was changing its DEI initiatives in November 2024. The plan to phase out DEI efforts was initially made public by anti-DEI conservative activist Robby Starbuck.
Meta’s DEI efforts
In January, Meta axed its fact-checking system, changed its content moderation programs, and ended its DEI programs. Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources, said Meta was pivoting away from DEI as the “legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing.”
Meta’s DEI team will shift its focus from diversity and inclusion. Instead, Maxine Williams, the company’s chief diversity officer’s role, will focus on accessibility and engagement.
“The company will end its equity and inclusion programs and will create programs that focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background,” Gale shared.
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