In apparent reference to the effects of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated on Thursday that he felt people in the Muslim and Arab communities in the tech sector were uncomfortable talking about their recent experiences.
On the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Altman posted, “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.”
The well-known CEO of ChatGPT, a company supported by Microsoft, urged the tech sector to show empathy for people in those communities. In response, a user on X questioned Altman about his thoughts on 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.”
Human rights activists point out that since October 7, when the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas attacked Israel and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli estimates, antisemitism and Islamophobia have increased significantly both domestically and internationally.
