OpenAI pays $3.2m to settle claims it discriminated against US workers

OpenAI and a subsidiary will pay $3.2m to settle US government claims that they ⁠favored foreign workers with temporary employment visas and discriminated against US job applicants in recruiting and hiring, the Justice Department said ⁠on Tuesday.The justice ⁠department in ​a release said that OpenAI and Statsig, which makes product development software, recruited foreign workers for some open positions and ⁠took various steps to discourage US workers from applying.That included requiring them to mail paper applications instead of submitting electronic ones, advertising jobs ⁠on the radio late at night, and not posting the openings on an external website, ​the Justice Department said.OpenAI did ‌not immediately respond to ‌a request for comment. The company denied wrongdoing in the settlement agreement.The Justice Department ‌has announced at least a dozen other settlements since last year in cases involving alleged discrimination against US workers, mostly by tech companies but none as high-profile as OpenAI.Donald Trump has said that many companies abuse the temporary employment visa system and has sought to limit the hiring of foreign workers.That has included imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, which are heavily utilized in the tech sector. The ​fee has been blocked pending legal challenges.Assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement that “this substantial settlement ensures that OpenAI redresses harm and changes its recruitment practices so US workers receive a fair opportunity for highly sought-after technology positions”.The Justice Department alleged ⁠that both companies violated the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, which bars discrimination ​based on citizenship.The ​department said that while there ​were fewer than 10 positions at issue, the sizeable settlement reflected the ​harm OpenAI’s conduct caused ‌to US ​workers.The settlement includes $1.2m in penalties and $2m to compensate alleged victims of discrimination. OpenAI also agreed to revise its employment policies, conduct training, and to be subject to monitoring by the Justice Department, the agency said.