Favoring foreign workers
The U.S. Justice Department said Tuesday that OpenAI and its subsidiary Statsig had discriminated against U.S. applicants by promoting foreign workers with temporary visas. The settlement addresses hiring and recruiting practices the agency claims created unfair barriers for American candidates.
According to the Justice Department, OpenAI made it harder for local applicants to access certain roles by requiring paper applications and advertising positions on the radio at late-night hours. The agency said the openings were not promoted on external job listing websites, making them less visible to U.S. workers.
What the settlement requires
The agreement includes $1.2 million in penalties and $2 million in compensation for victims of the alleged discrimination. OpenAI also agreed to revise its hiring policies, conduct internal training, and allow the Justice Department to monitor future compliance. Despite the settlement, OpenAI did not admit fault in the matter. The company has not yet responded to a request for further comment.
Part of a larger trend
None of those cases, however, reached the level of public attention as OpenAI's. The government has also taken other measures to address abuse of the H-1B visa system, including a $100,000 fee for new applications—a policy now on hold due to court challenges. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the settlement ensures “US workers receive a fair opportunity for highly sought-after technology positions.”