From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 5, 2024
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urges more empathy for Muslims, Palestinians in tech industry
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleOpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he feels members of the Muslim and Arab communities in the tech industry are uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, in an apparent reference to the impact of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“Muslim and arab (especially palestinian) colleagues in the tech community i’ve spoken with feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and damaged career prospects,” Altman writes on X, formerly Twitter, urging the tech industry to treat members of those communities with empathy.
muslim and arab (especially palestinian) colleagues in the tech community i've spoken with feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and damaged career prospects.
our industry should be united in our support of these colleagues;…
— Sam Altman (@sama) January 5, 2024
In response to a user on X asking Altman in a reply how he feels about the experiences of the Jewish community, Altman responds: “I am jewish. i believe that antisemitism is a significant and growing problem in the world, and i see a lot of people in our industry sticking up for me, which i deeply appreciate. i see much less of that for muslims.”
Rights advocates note that both antisemitism and Islamophobia have risen sharply in the US and elsewhere since October 7, when Hamas, the terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, burst through Israel’s borders, killing some 1,200 people and seizing around 240 hostages.
Israel launched an aerial campaign and ground invasion in response to the deadly onslaught that the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says has killed more than 22,000 people. Those numbers aren’t verifiable and do not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
The Times of Israel Community.