**Tech Titans’ Mixed Messages on ICE Violence: Praising Trump While Condemning Brutality**
In a jarring flip of occasions, two high-profile tech CEOs have spoken out towards the brutal treatment of U.S. residents by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) brokers in Minneapolis. However in a transfer that has left many within the tech group scratching their heads, each Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, and Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, have selected to not solely distance themselves from ICE, but in addition praise President Trump’s administration in the identical breath.
Amodei, in an look on NBC Information Monday, expressed his concern in regards to the violence and highlighted the significance of defending democracy at residence. However he took it a step additional by pointing out that Anthropic doesn’t have contracts with ICE. That’s positively a begin, proper? However then he went on to applaud Trump’s determination to permit Minnesota authorities to conduct an independent investigation into the shootings. You’ll be able to guess what? That transfer can also be seen as a nod to the administration’s makes an attempt to handle the scenario, however it’s arduous to say if the investigation will really occur.
Things get even weirder with Altman’s inner Slack message to OpenAI workers, which was leaked to the New York Occasions. He acknowledged that the violence perpetrated by ICE brokers “goes too far” and distinguished between deporting violent criminals and the actions being taken by ICE. However right here’s the kicker: he then praised Trump as a “really strong leader” and expressed hope that the president will “unite the nation” in response to the violence. Um, positive, as a result of nothing says “uniting the nation” like praising a administration that’s value of tearing apart our communities with its discriminatory insurance policies.
Tech staff, together with workers of each corporations, have been calling on their CEOs to take actual motion and converse out towards ICE’s violence. They’re urging their employers to cancel contracts with ICE and publicly denounce the company’s actions. However the CEOs have been responding with combined messages, with some displaying solidarity and others taking a extra measured method. The distinction between Amodei and Altman’s responses raises questions on their sincerity and whether or not they’re prepared to truly talk out towards the administration’s insurance policies.
It’s high time for these CEOs to decide on a aspect and align their actions with their phrases. We’ll have to attend and see if they’re prepared to place their cash the place their mouth is.
