A Peter Thiel-backed project that proposed using artificial intelligence to adjudicate disputes against journalists is changing direction, shifting from an online “tribunal” toward a scoreboard-style system for rating news coverage.
The startup, originally called Objection, allowed customers to pay $2,000 to challenge claims in published articles. Investigators would assemble evidence, invite the journalist to respond and submit the dispute to several large language models for a verdict. This caused scrutiny as people believed the process could pressure reporters, disadvantage investigations relying on confidential sources and give wealthy subjects a new tool for attacking unfavorable coverage.
In other words, it could make the fake news even worse. But Thiel, a very smart man without a doubt, has pivoted. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the venture has morphed into a project called The Primary. Rather than holding individual AI-powered trials, the new model reportedly aims to evaluate stories and maintain public scores measuring journalistic performance. Think of it as a Yelp for journalists.
The approach resembles earlier efforts to create consumer-style credibility ratings for news, including NewsTrust, The Factual and Credder—none of which remain operational. Objection was founded by Aron D’Souza, who helped organize the Thiel-funded litigation that ultimately bankrupted Gawker—doing a great service to mankind. Investors in the project have included Thiel and cryptocurrency entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan.
The pivot does not eliminate the central controversy. These public ratings are a way to promote accuracy and accountability through access to better information. They should be transparent to show the public that its scores are credible, impartial and more trustworthy than the journalists it evaluates. But Thiel’s idea is an interesting idea that could be a game changer to put the fake news in its place.
