Nike is under investigation by the U.S. government over allegations of discrimination against white employees, according to the BBC. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced Wednesday it has requested company records dating back to 2018 to examine claims that Nike engaged "in a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against white employees, applicants, and training program participants."
The EEOC is scrutinizing the use of race and ethnicity data by Nike and whether this information influenced executive pay, according to court documents. Nike responded to the investigation stating it was "committed to fair and lawful employment practices," and called the inquiry "a surprising and unusual step."
In other business news, Target is facing rising discontent from staff in Minnesota over concerns about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, according to the BBC. Employees are urging the company to provide clearer guidance on how to respond if ICE officers arrive at worksites and to limit agents' access to stores and parking lots.
Meanwhile, Pinterest recently sacked two engineers for tracking which workers lost their jobs in a recent round of layoffs, according to the BBC. The company recently announced job cuts, impacting about 15% of the workforce, or roughly 700 roles, as part of a shift towards an "AI-forward approach," according to an employee who posted some of CEO Bill Ready's memo on LinkedIn. The engineers reportedly "wrote custom scripts improperly accessing confidential company information to identify the locations and names of all dismissed employees."
In the technology sector, Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, faced criticism for his online response to a rival chatbot firm's Super Bowl ad, according to the BBC. Anthropic is using the ads to criticize commercials being introduced to ChatGPT, describing the move as a "betrayal." Altman responded with a 420-word post on X, calling Anthropic "dishonest" and "deceptive," but commenters on social media likened his post to "the digital equivalent of a toddler throwing a tantrum." One commenter said, "Looks like a nerve was well and truly hit."
Finally, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery faced scrutiny from U.S. senators regarding their proposed merger, according to the BBC. During a Senate antitrust subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, lawmakers raised concerns about reduced competition, potential price rises, and the future of cinemas if the $82 billion deal goes ahead. The deal is currently under review by the Department of Justice (DoJ).
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment