A 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower, who recently raised alarms about the company’s alleged violations of copyright law, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26.
According to The Mercury News, Suchir Balaji was discovered breathless in his apartment on Buchanan Street. The San Francisco police and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the death. They suspect it a case suicide. The authorities also indicated that there is "currently no evidence of foul play".
Balaji gained attention earlier this year for publicly accusing OpenAI of infringing upon U.S. copyright laws in its development of ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence program that has garnered widespread use and turned into a multimillion-dollar success. His whistleblowing came as the company faces a growing number of lawsuits related to its business practices and AI models.
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The tragic incident comes three months after Balaji resigned from OpenAI in August 2023. He spent nearly four years with the company. In an interview with The New York Times in October this year, Balaji explained the reasons behind his departure. “I no longer wanted to contribute to technologies that I believe would bring society more harm than benefit.” Talking about his decision, he said, “If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company.”
Balaji’s death...
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