Former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji, who recently exposed alleged copyright violations at the artificial intelligence company, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment, authorities confirmed. The 26-year-old's death has been ruled a suicide by the city's medical examiner.
Police discovered Balaji's body during a wellness check at his Lower Haight residence on November 26. Law enforcement officials stated there was no evidence of foul play.
The computer scientist had worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before departing in August 2023. Just weeks before his death, Balaji made headlines after publicly criticizing his former employer's data practices in an interview with The New York Times.
He specifically called out OpenAI's use of copyrighted material to train ChatGPT, the company's breakthrough AI chatbot. "If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company," Balaji told the Times in October. "This is not a sustainable model for the internet ecosystem as a whole."
The Berkeley graduate's revelations were expected to play a central role in multiple ongoing lawsuits against OpenAI. Major media organizations, including The New York Times, have sued the AI company for allegedly misusing copyrighted content to develop its technology.
In court documents filed just one day before his death, Balaji was named as someone possessing "unique and relevant documents" supporting claims against OpenAI.
The Cupertino native initially joined OpenAI driven by AI's potential to benefit society. However, his perspective shifted while working on GPT-4, where he grew concerned about the company's data gathering methods and potential copyright violations.
OpenAI responded to news of Balaji's death stating, "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."
Balaji's family has requested privacy during this period of mourning.
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