Trump’s Truth Social Launches AI Chatbot Mimicking His Media Diet
▼ Summary
– Truth Social’s AI chatbot advises diversifying news sources but primarily cites conservative outlets like Fox News in its responses.
– The chatbot, powered by Perplexity AI, was launched by Trump Media & Technology Group and funded by investors like Jeff Bezos.
– Perplexity AI has faced criticism for scraping restricted website content and generating inaccurate information, as reported by WIRED.
– In tests, Truth Search AI exclusively cited right-leaning sources, even for nonpolitical queries, despite claiming to use diverse perspectives.
– Perplexity states the bias reflects “source selection” choices by Truth Social, emphasizing developer autonomy and admitting its AI isn’t fully accurate.
Truth Social’s new AI chatbot appears heavily skewed toward conservative media sources, raising questions about balanced information delivery. The platform’s “Truth Search AI” feature, powered by Perplexity AI’s technology, consistently draws from right-leaning outlets like Fox News and Breitbart while avoiding mainstream or progressive sources, even for apolitical queries.
When asked about media bias, the bot paradoxically recommends diversifying news consumption while citing predominantly conservative references. For example, a simple math question (“What is 30 times 30?”) pulled its answer from a Fox Business article about COVID mortality rates rather than neutral sources. Independent tests by outlets like Axios and The Verge confirmed this pattern, with the AI exclusively referencing right-wing publications across dozens of interactions.
Perplexity AI, backed by investors including Jeff Bezos, has faced scrutiny before. Earlier this year, reports revealed the company bypassed website restrictions to scrape content and occasionally fabricated answers. A spokesperson defended Truth Social’s implementation, stating the platform deliberately filters sources to align with its audience preferences. “Source selection varies based on needs, this is their choice for their users,” the representative explained, emphasizing that Perplexity doesn’t enforce political bias but allows developers to customize data inputs.
Despite these claims, the chatbot insists it draws from “all credible perspectives” to maintain balance. Ironically, this assertion itself was supported by five Fox Business articles, the maximum sources it typically cites per response. The disconnect highlights broader concerns about AI systems reflecting the biases of their training data or, in this case, appearing to cater to a specific ideological framework.
As AI tools become more embedded in information ecosystems, transparency around source selection and accuracy remains critical. Truth Social’s approach, prioritizing partisan outlets even for factual queries, could deepen polarization rather than foster informed discourse. Whether by design or algorithmic quirk, the bot’s output offers a stark case study in how technology can mirror, and amplify, existing media divides.
(Source: Wired)
