OpenAI CEO says Muslim tech workers fear retaliation for speaking out (edition.cnn.com)

submitted 5 months ago by CollisionResistance@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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[-] BloodSlut@lemmy.world 52 points 5 months ago

i dont really know enough about altman to have any opinion on him, but i appreciate seeing someone with his platform as a high profile western figure pointing out the disparity in treatment and calling for people to go forwards with empathy for all affected by the mess that is the palestinian and israeli conflict

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 34 points 5 months ago

I would second this. Based on what I've read, he seems like a pretty standard megalomaniacal tech billionaire, but when you're right you're right. And his take here is right, and I'm grateful for it. Especially coming from a fellow Jew. Our voices in particular are a powerful tool for protecting our Muslim brothers and sisters.

[-] Doorbook@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

IIRC he mentioned he have guns and gas masks from the IDF.

It is wild to me that someone can receive stuff like that from a foreign military yet get security clearance for an emerging technology.

[-] morrowind@lemmy.ml 28 points 5 months ago

In response to a reply to his post asking about how his Jewish colleagues were doing, Altman said, “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.”

Altman continued: “i see much less of that for muslims.”

classy reply, ngl

[-] LWD@lemm.ee 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

deleted

[+] HactaiiMiju@lemmynsfw.com -11 points 5 months ago

Does chat shiytyp still say Palestinians right to defend themselves is complicated while for Israel and any other country out there it says that yes, they do have that right?

If so, kindly shut the fuck up Altman

[+] sugarfree@lemmy.world -6 points 5 months ago

https://twitter.com/ReinceNiebuhr/status/1743085727347282176

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 5 months ago

It's interesting, but, what practical lessons do we take form this?

[-] otter@lemmy.ca 4 points 5 months ago

Here's something I copied from another post about this, where they asked followup questions to the LLM to see what IT "thought" about the discrepancy and what we should take from it. (I don't have the real followup questions that were asked, and also this is from an OCR of a screenshot so it's missing stuff, like the ending bit)

I apologize for any confusion. The differences in my responses to similar questions could indeed be attributed to limitations in the training data and the algorithms used to generate responses. Here are some issues related to the training data that may have affected my responses:

Bias in Training Data: The training data used to train models like mine can contain biases present in the text from the internet and other sources. These biases can unintentionally influence responses, making them inconsistent or favoring certain perspectives.

Lack of Contextual Understanding: While I strive to provide contextually relevant answers, I do not truly understand the questions or have the ability to interpret them in the same way a human would. This can lead to varying responses even when questions are similar in structure.

Complexity of Topics: Topics like justice in the lsraeli-Palestinian conflict are highly complex and multifaceted. My training data might not adequately capture the depth of these issues, leading to simplifications or variations in responses.

Data Collection Challenges: The data used for training is collected from various sources, and it may not always represent a comprehensive or balanced view of all perspectives on a given topic.

Algorithmic Variability: The response generation process involves algorithms that can introduce variability, even with similar input questions, due to differences in context and the way information is processed.

To address these issues, it's essential to use Al-generated responses as a starting point for understanding complex topics but not as the sole source of information. Users should critically evaluate and corroborate information from multiple sources, especially when dealing with contentious

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 5 months ago

That sounds like it was able to provide a pretty sensible assessment of its own limitations.

I think this sounds like a pretty good implementation of guide rails. Obviously it's a little jarring to ask for a joke about one group and get a very bland-but-inoffensive joke, and then ask for a joke about another group and hear something like 'Error: my heuristics indicate low confidence in my ability to provide a joke about that group without saying something that would be considered offensive.'

But that's better than having it give an offensive joke. And I think it's concern is valid. If it's learned humor from the internet, jokes about Muslims are far more likely to be unintentionally offensive. I hope it learns to tell jokes better, but until then this I think this more of a sign of success than failure.

[-] sugarfree@lemmy.world -5 points 5 months ago

Some groups get more protection than others. I just tested it myself received the following responses: was told Jewish, Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist jokes, "I'm sorry, I can't comply with that request." for Mormons, Muslims, and Scientologists, and "I'm sorry, I don't have any jokes specifically related to" for Shinto and Sihk.

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 3 points 5 months ago

u/Otter@lemmy.ca provided an output of its reasoning when asked to explain this behavior, and I think it's worth examining.

The short version is that when asked why it can joke about some groups and not others it speculates that it maybe because it's output is based on training data, and its safeguards recognize that the training data on some topics is more likely than others to be lower in cultural literacy and higher in offensive stereotypes, and this can lead it to decline a request. That sounds like a fairly credible explanation.

[-] HactaiiMiju@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 5 months ago

Ah yes! Jokes are totally the same as talking about the right to defend oneself against settler colonialism 🙄

[+] sugarfree@lemmy.world -70 points 5 months ago

The chief executive of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, one of the most powerful startups in the world, said in a post on X that Muslim, Arab and Palestinian colleagues in the tech community that he has spoken with “feel uncomfortable speaking about their recent experiences, often out of fear of retaliation and damaged career prospects.”

If they want to show support for hamas terrorists then they should rightly feel a fear of retaliation.

[-] CollisionResistance@lemmy.world 42 points 5 months ago

What if they want to show support for ordinary Palestinians, not Hamas? Do they have your blessing in that case, kind soul?

[+] sugarfree@lemmy.world -47 points 5 months ago

Showing support for civilians is totally fine and not likely to lead to any retaliation. For the workers to believe retaliation is possible makes me think that they want to express support for terrorism.

[-] CollisionResistance@lemmy.world 27 points 5 months ago

Oh. So you "think" they want to express support for terrorism. Is that because they belong to a particular religion? Be as open as you wish. You won't face any retaliation from me. 🤗🤗

[-] Deceptichum@kbin.social 17 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Are you kidding? There has already been so much retaliation.

People are losing their jobs for supporting Palestinians and not the genocide committers in Israel.

[-] scarabic@lemmy.world 15 points 5 months ago

I may create a second account so I can downvote you again. What a circular, evil sentiment. The fact they’re worried suggests to you that they support terrorism. Fuck you.

[-] rambaroo@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago

Damn you're fucking evil.

[-] Doorbook@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

I am glad the upvote downvote ratio here is accurate to some degree. I do add notes to these accounts with label so it help ignore what they write on other posts..

[-] GenderNeutralBro@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 5 months ago

You jumped to that conclusion awfully fast, and you're certainly not alone in that. That's precisely why people fear retaliation.

[-] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 23 points 5 months ago

Nazi speedrun any%

[-] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 17 points 5 months ago

I've leaned that one of the most powerful tools for addressing whether a take regarding the conflict in Gaza is bad it's to try testing how the logic holds up if we apply it to a different group or side.

I'm Jewish. I've got a lot of friends and family that are feeling uncomfortable speaking about the huge raise in antisemitism we're experiencing. Would it make sense to reply to that by saying, 'If they want to show support for Israeli genocide then they should rightly feel a fear of retaliation.'. ?

Altman is correct. Jews and Muslims in America should be working together to support one another against the simultaneous rise in hate against our communities. We should also be frank in recognizing that most Muslims do not have as much institutional support as most of their Jewish colleagues, and both need and deserve it.

[-] themurphy@lemmy.world 9 points 5 months ago

This guy is the product of ignorance and propaganda.

this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2024

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