Google Takes on Defamation Fight Meta Abandoned
▼ Summary
– Google filed a motion to dismiss a defamation lawsuit from activist Robby Starbuck, who alleged its AI falsely linked him to sexual assault and white nationalism.
– Starbuck previously sued Meta over similar AI claims about the January 6th riot, which Meta settled by hiring him as an AI bias advisor.
– No US court has yet awarded damages for defamation by an AI chatbot, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
– Google argues Starbuck’s claims stem from his misuse of developer tools to induce AI hallucinations and lacks evidence of anyone being misled.
– While Google could eventually settle like Meta, it is currently choosing to fight the lawsuit in court.
Navigating the complex legal terrain of artificial intelligence, Google has initiated a bold defense against a defamation lawsuit filed by activist Robby Starbuck. The company recently submitted a motion to dismiss the case, which centers on allegations that its AI systems incorrectly linked Starbuck to sexual assault claims and white nationalist affiliations.
This legal confrontation follows a similar dispute Starbuck previously pursued against Meta. In that instance, he contended that Meta’s AI chatbot inaccurately stated he took part in the January 6th Capitol riot. Rather than contesting the matter in court, Meta opted to settle the lawsuit last August. As part of the resolution, the company brought Starbuck on board as an advisor to help tackle concerns about ideological and political bias within its AI technology. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, no American court has yet granted financial compensation for defamation caused by an AI chatbot.
Starbuck is now pursuing $15 million in damages from Google. However, the tech giant argues in its legal filing that Starbuck’s accusations stem from what it calls his “misuse of developer tools to induce hallucinations.” Google points out that Starbuck has not disclosed the specific prompts he entered to produce the disputed AI responses, nor has he identified anyone who was actually misled by the alleged false statements. Requests for comment from Starbuck went unanswered at the time of reporting.
While Google might eventually follow Meta’s example and seek an out-of-court settlement, for the present it has chosen to challenge the allegations through the judicial system. This stance highlights the ongoing struggle to define accountability and responsibility in the rapidly advancing field of generative AI.
(Source: The Verge)
