OpenAI Whistleblower Suchir Balaji Found Dead In Apartment: What We Know [Video]

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher turned whistleblower, died in San Francisco on November 26 in a suspected suicide, according to local authorities.

The San Francisco Police Department said they found Balaji dead inside his apartment on Buchanan Street after being called to the property for a well-being check at around 1 p.m. on November 26, The Mercury News reported.

The past few years have seen dramatic improvements in the capabilities of AI-powered chatbots, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which rely on large language models to produce content for users. However, the process has also been controversial with some publishers accusing OpenAI of using copyrighted works without permission, and a number of legal cases are currently ongoing.

Newsweek contacted OpenAI for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours.

The San Francisco medical examiner’s office said it determined Balaji’s cause of death as suicide. Earlier this week, police said there is “currently no evidence of foul play.”

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