Former OpenAI researcher, whistleblower found dead at age 26
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A former OpenAI researcher who called out AI's legal grey areas has been found dead.
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Former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji, undated. (Social Media)
CNBC has confirmed that 26-year-old Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in recent weeks.
Earlier this year, Balaji left OpenAI and publicly raised concerns that the company might have breached US copyright law during the development of its popular ChatGPT chatbot.
In an email on Friday, David Serrano Sewell, executive director of San Francisco’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said, “The manner of death has been determined to be suicide,” adding that Balaji’s next of kin have been notified.
The San Francisco Police Department stated in an email that on the afternoon of November 26, officers were called to an apartment on Buchanan Street for a "well-being check." Upon arrival, they found a deceased adult male and reported finding "no evidence of foul play" during their initial investigation.
Balaji's death was first reported by the San Jose-based Mercury News. A family member who was contacted by the paper requested privacy.
In October, The New York Times published an article addressing Balaji's concerns.
“If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company,” Balaji told the paper.
He reportedly believed that ChatGPT and similar chatbots would undermine the commercial viability of individuals and organizations that create the digital data and content now widely used to train AI systems.
Balaji was also known for publicly accusing OpenAI of violating US copyright laws through its popular generative AI program, ChatGPT.
A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed Balaji’s death.
“We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” the spokesperson said in an email.
It is important to note that OpenAI is currently engaged in legal battles with several publishers, authors, and artists over the alleged use of copyrighted material for AI training data. A lawsuit filed by news organizations in December seeks to hold OpenAI and its main backer, Microsoft, accountable for billions of dollars in damages.
“We actually don’t need to train on their data,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at an event organized by Bloomberg in Davos earlier this year.
Read next: Canada's top news organizations file copyright lawsuit against OpenAI
