Truth Social’s AI Search Favors Fox News Over Unbiased Results
▼ Summary
– Truth Social launched a new AI search feature, Truth Search AI, powered by Perplexity, which prioritizes conservative media sources like Fox News and The Washington Times.
– Testing revealed the AI tool predominantly cites conservative outlets, particularly Fox, despite Truth Media’s claim to combat Big Tech’s suppression of free speech.
– The AI summaries sometimes present critical views, such as stating Trump’s tariffs had a “net negative effect” on the U.S. economy, despite sourcing from conservative publications.
– Truth CEO Devin Nunes described the feature as a beta and emphasized plans to refine it based on user feedback to enhance the platform.
– Perplexity’s executive promoted the tool as providing “direct, reliable answers,” but independent tests (like 404 Media’s) found bias in responses, such as downplaying Trump’s ties to Epstein.
Truth Social’s new AI-powered search tool appears to heavily favor conservative media outlets like Fox News in its results, raising questions about algorithmic bias on Donald Trump’s social media platform. The recently launched feature, called Truth Search AI, relies on technology from startup Perplexity and is currently available on the web version of the site, with mobile app integration expected soon.
During independent testing, the search function exclusively returned links from right-leaning publications including Fox News, Fox Business, The Washington Times, and The Federalist. Fox News content dominated the results, accounting for the majority of cited sources across various test queries. This selective sourcing contradicts Truth Social’s stated mission to combat censorship and promote free speech online.
When searching economic policy questions like “Are Trump’s tariffs improving the economy?”, the tool provided five Fox Business links without alternative perspectives. Interestingly, the AI-generated summaries sometimes presented unflattering conclusions despite the conservative sourcing. One response acknowledged that available evidence suggests Trump’s tariffs have “generally had a negative effect” on the broader U.S. economy while benefiting certain industries.
Truth Media CEO Devin Nunes described the feature as making the platform “an even more vital element in the Patriot Economy,” noting plans to refine the tool based on user feedback. The search function currently carries a beta label, suggesting ongoing development.
Additional testing by journalists revealed further examples of apparent bias. Queries about Trump’s potential connections to Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal activities received dismissive responses from the AI, despite documented associations. The system did, however, maintain its critical stance on tariff policies when presenting economic data.
Perplexity executives have framed the partnership as an opportunity to provide “direct, reliable answers with transparent citations” to Truth Social’s user base. The AI company’s chief business officer emphasized their technology’s ability to deliver properly sourced information, though current implementation appears to prioritize specific media outlets over comprehensive coverage.
(Source: The Verge)
