The new policy of US President Donald Trump is forcing OpenAI to remove its diversity commitment page, as TechCrunch journalists noted. Meta, Google and Amazon are also distancing themselves from this policy after Donald Trump's inauguration.
The link to OpenAI's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policy page now leads to a page about people from "different backgrounds".
Previously, the company said it was continuing to invest in the DEI approach, "taking this work seriously" and striving to continuously improve in this area. And the new one already talks about "building dynamic teams."
"At OpenAI, we recognize that the strongest ideas emerge when they are tested, debated, and improved by people with different backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking. We encourage a culture of curiosity where ideas can be challenged — not just accepted," the website reads.
It appears that the company changed its priorities as recently as January 27, as the old version was still available, according to an ABC News story published on January 22.
Meta, Google, Amazon, and others are doing the same
Meta was one of the first to change its policies, starting with eliminating fact-checking on its social media and weakening moderation that allows LGBT+ people to be called "mentally ill." The tech giant announced that it was ending the DEI program, and its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented on the abandonment of the program by saying that companies lack "masculine energy."
Google first introduced its DEI goals in 2009, but in early February of this year, the company announced that it would no longer use diversity as a criterion for hiring and would revamp the program.
Amazon scaled back its diversity program on the eve of Trump's inauguration. In a memo to employees, the company said it would gradually phase out legacy programs and planned to complete the process by the end of 2024. Amazon is one of the latest tech companies to remove references to "inclusion and diversity" from its annual report.
Other US companies that have closed or scaled back DEI include McDonald's, Walmart, Ford, John Deere, and others.
Why companies are scrubbing DEI programs?
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is an approach that promotes the fair treatment and participation of underrepresented groups. It can include hiring and promotion policies, unconscious bias training, pay equity audits, and more.
When Donald Trump returned to the US presidency, he issued a series of executive orders to cut federal DEI programs. Many Republicans and conservative groups believe that these programs shift discrimination from one category of workers to another.
The executive order also attempts to discourage private companies from using DEI programs and hiring based on race and gender - what the executive order calls "unlawful discrimination and DEI preferences." It also provides that employers may be prosecuted, although no further details are available.
And a week ago, Attorney General Pam Bondi ordered the DOJ to "investigate, eliminate, and penalize" private companies and universities that have "illegal" diversity programs.
Not everyone is on the new administration's board, however. Companies like Apple and Costco have not yet scrubbed their policies, despite the pressure.
