I’ve been watching the buzz around now convicted crypto thief, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). Many outlets are either hinting at, or outright saying that he’s autistic. One site, CCN.com, directly says that SBF, “received a diagnosis of autism” “early on.” I left the link in their quote. It’s their link. The linked site notes the speculation about SBF being autistic, but that it’s never been concerned.
I’m not comfortable with this meme of the “autistic criminal mastermind.” In recent years, Hollywood films have portrayed autistic characters as possessing extraordinary talents, particularly in fields like math, science, and technology. This archetype or meme of the "autistic criminal mastermind" is exemplified in movies such as The Accountant, in which Ben Affleck portrays an autistic forensic accountant who is also a skilled assassin. Whilst highlighting the unique capabilities of autistic individuals, this stereotypical portrayal risks misleading audiences into thinking that autism is defined solely by savant skills or a propensity for criminality.
In recent films and TV shows, Hollywood has popularized the fictional character of the “autistic criminal mastermind” - an autistic person who simultaneously possesses impressive intellectual abilities and advanced capacity for crime or unethical / out of the mainstream behaviours. Examples include Raymond Babbitt in the film Rain Man, who shows savant abilities with numbers but lacks moral awareness, or Temperance Brennan in the TV series Bones, whose brilliance as a forensic anthropologist is coupled with awkwardness and bluntness.
However, this archetype relies on an oversimplified and misleading representation of autism. In reality, autistic individuals have diverse capabilities and deficits. Whilst a minority may possess remarkable talents, especially in fields like math, pattern recognition, or memory, these skills do not necessarily co-occur with superior intelligence in other domains. Furthermore, research shows that autistic people have a similar overall distribution of moral reasoning as neurotypicals.
Though pop culture depictions treat autism as intrinsically linked to amorality and crime, studies demonstrate autistic people generally have a strong sense of justice, ethics, and rule-following. Offending rates are no higher among autistic versus non-autistic populations. Even those involved in crimes typically lack malicious intent, and may be motivated by fixations, a desire for order, or victimization by others (which may be at issue in the case of SBF, as emails from his dad tends to show).
Whilst the “autistic mastermind” make for compelling TV characters, they risk further stigmatizing a vulnerable group by portraying autism as intrinsically tied to unethical acts and aberrant motives. More complex, grounded representation would recognize both the talents and challenges of the autism spectrum, without linking it to criminality. But that does’t grab attention, does it?
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Autistic criminal mastermind?
Autistic criminal mastermind?
Autistic criminal mastermind?
I’ve been watching the buzz around now convicted crypto thief, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). Many outlets are either hinting at, or outright saying that he’s autistic. One site, CCN.com, directly says that SBF, “received a diagnosis of autism” “early on.” I left the link in their quote. It’s their link. The linked site notes the speculation about SBF being autistic, but that it’s never been concerned.
I’m not comfortable with this meme of the “autistic criminal mastermind.” In recent years, Hollywood films have portrayed autistic characters as possessing extraordinary talents, particularly in fields like math, science, and technology. This archetype or meme of the "autistic criminal mastermind" is exemplified in movies such as The Accountant, in which Ben Affleck portrays an autistic forensic accountant who is also a skilled assassin. Whilst highlighting the unique capabilities of autistic individuals, this stereotypical portrayal risks misleading audiences into thinking that autism is defined solely by savant skills or a propensity for criminality.
In recent films and TV shows, Hollywood has popularized the fictional character of the “autistic criminal mastermind” - an autistic person who simultaneously possesses impressive intellectual abilities and advanced capacity for crime or unethical / out of the mainstream behaviours. Examples include Raymond Babbitt in the film Rain Man, who shows savant abilities with numbers but lacks moral awareness, or Temperance Brennan in the TV series Bones, whose brilliance as a forensic anthropologist is coupled with awkwardness and bluntness.
However, this archetype relies on an oversimplified and misleading representation of autism. In reality, autistic individuals have diverse capabilities and deficits. Whilst a minority may possess remarkable talents, especially in fields like math, pattern recognition, or memory, these skills do not necessarily co-occur with superior intelligence in other domains. Furthermore, research shows that autistic people have a similar overall distribution of moral reasoning as neurotypicals.
Though pop culture depictions treat autism as intrinsically linked to amorality and crime, studies demonstrate autistic people generally have a strong sense of justice, ethics, and rule-following. Offending rates are no higher among autistic versus non-autistic populations. Even those involved in crimes typically lack malicious intent, and may be motivated by fixations, a desire for order, or victimization by others (which may be at issue in the case of SBF, as emails from his dad tends to show).
Whilst the “autistic mastermind” make for compelling TV characters, they risk further stigmatizing a vulnerable group by portraying autism as intrinsically tied to unethical acts and aberrant motives. More complex, grounded representation would recognize both the talents and challenges of the autism spectrum, without linking it to criminality. But that does’t grab attention, does it?
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.