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OpenAI Whistleblower’s Death Ruled Suicide, Police Say

Dec 14, 2024 - forbes.com
Suchir Balaji, a former researcher at OpenAI, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment last month, with authorities ruling it a suicide. Balaji, who left OpenAI in October, had accused the company of violating copyright law by using unauthorized data to train its AI models, potentially harming the internet ecosystem. His allegations were disputed by OpenAI, which expressed condolences over his death. Balaji's passing occurred a day after a court filing named him in a lawsuit involving authors who sued OpenAI over copyright concerns.

Balaji had worked at OpenAI for four years, contributing to the development of ChatGPT. After leaving, he was engaged in a personal project and had publicly voiced his concerns about the company's practices. The lawsuit required OpenAI to search his professional files for documents related to his copyright claims. OpenAI acknowledged the situation, stating their devastation over the news and extending sympathies to Balaji's family and friends.

Key takeaways:

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  • Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment due to suicide, with no evidence of foul play.
  • Balaji had accused OpenAI of copyright infringement, claiming the company used unauthorized data to train its AI models, potentially violating copyright law.
  • His death occurred shortly after a court filing named him in a lawsuit involving authors suing OpenAI over copyright concerns.
  • OpenAI expressed condolences over Balaji's death and agreed to search his professional files for documents related to his copyright concerns.
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