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Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has launched a formal investigation into Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Meta, alleging potential deceptive business practices related to AI chatbot bias. The investigation focuses on claims that the companies’ AI chatbots exhibit bias against former President Donald Trump, specifically in their responses to questions about historical figures.

Bailey’s probe was initiated following instances where chatbots allegedly ranked Trump unfavorably when asked to assess the last five presidents on their handling of antisemitism. The Attorney General contends that such rankings are demonstrably inaccurate and indicative of a broader pattern of biased information dissemination.

Bailey has issued demands for extensive documentation detailing the companies’ content moderation policies and processes, particularly those that might manipulate or suppress specific inputs to influence chatbot outputs. He argues that any demonstrated bias could jeopardize the legal protections typically granted to neutral publishers.

The investigation has sparked controversy, with critics questioning the validity of judging historical figures through subjective rankings and challenging the basis of the complaint, particularly concerning Microsoft’s Copilot, which reportedly declined to offer such a ranking.

Regardless of the criticisms, this investigation underscores the escalating concerns surrounding potential bias in AI systems and the complexities of maintaining neutrality in algorithmically generated content, particularly within the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence.