TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Sam Altman says Muslims in tech world fear retaliation in speaking up
"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 wrote on social media network X, formerly known as Twitter.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Samuel Altman, CEO of OpenAI, arrives for testimony before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law May 16, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee held an oversight hearing to examine A.I., focusing on rules for artificial intelligence. (AFP/Win McNamee/Getty Images)
O
penAI CEO Sam Altman said on Thursday he felt members of the Muslim and Arab communities in the tech industry were uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, in an apparent reference to the impact of the ongoing war 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 wrote on social media network X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Microsoft-backed ChatGPT maker's high-profile boss urged the tech industry to treat members of those communities with empathy.
A user on X asked Altman in a reply how he felt about the experiences of the Jewish community.
Altman responded: "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 antisemitism and Islamophobia have risen sharply in the US and elsewhere since Oct. 7 when Palestinian Islamist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza has killed more than 22,000 Palestinians, almost 1 percent of its 2.3 million population, according to Gaza's health ministry.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations said last month that in the two months after the war began, incidents motivated by Islamophobia and bias against Palestinians and Arabs rose by 172 percent in the United States compared to the same period last year.
The Anti-Defamation League said in December that between Oct. 7 and Dec. 7, US antisemitic incidents rose by 337 percent.
