Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, voiced apprehension regarding the reluctance of Muslims and Arabs in the technology sector to openly discuss their experiences, citing concerns about potential reprisals
On Thursday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed concern that members of the Muslim and Arab communities in the tech industry feel hesitant to discuss their recent experiences, possibly referring to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Altman shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): “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.”
Responding to a user’s inquiry about the experiences of the Jewish community, Altman, who is Jewish, stated: “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.”
Altman urged the tech industry to treat members of the Muslim and Arab communities with empathy. It’s noted that incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia have increased since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began on October 7, resulting in heightened tensions and a rise in bias incidents against both communities in the United States.
