TLDR: Meta has appointed conservative activist Robby Starbuck, known for his anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-DEI views, as an AI bias advisor. This move, part of a settlement after Starbuck sued Meta for false AI claims, aims to ensure “neutral” AI but has ignited significant backlash due to Starbuck’s controversial background.
Meta Platforms has announced the appointment of conservative social media activist Robby Starbuck as an advisor to address “ideological and political bias” within its artificial intelligence tools, particularly its AI chatbot. The decision, made public in August 2025, has immediately drawn criticism given Starbuck’s prominent anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) stance.
The appointment stems from a settlement reached after Starbuck filed a lawsuit against Meta in April 2025, seeking over $5 million in damages. Starbuck alleged that Meta’s AI chatbot falsely claimed he participated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection. Following the lawsuit, Meta issued an apology and partially blacklisted his name from the AI’s responses.
Starbuck, a former music video director, is widely recognized for his activism against corporate DEI initiatives and his vocal opposition to LGBTQ+ events and gender-affirming care. His documentary, “The War on Children,” which streamed in February 2024, has been described by news outlets as “anti-trans” and “anti-LGBTQ+.” He is also a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank associated with the controversial Project 2025 movement.
Meta’s rationale for the advisory role is to ensure its AI models are “more accurate” by mitigating what it refers to as “DEI bias.” According to a statement posted on X by Starbuck and Meta Chief Global Affairs Officer Joe Kaplan on August 8, Starbuck’s role will involve guiding the company’s developers on how to further reduce political bias in AI tools. Starbuck himself, while not an expert in AI development or training, stated in an interview with CNBC that his goal is “ethical” and “neutral” AI, adding, “We don’t want a future where you’ve got AI putting the thumb on the scale when it comes to politics.”
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This move positions Meta as a leading voice in the “anti-Woke AI” movement within Big Tech. Notably, Meta had already begun to dismantle its DEI mandates and related policies, including protections for LGBTQ communities, women, and people of color, prior to Starbuck’s official appointment. The company’s decision to bring in a figure with such a contentious public profile for an AI advisory role underscores its commitment to this new direction, despite the significant public backlash it has generated.
