Elon Musk has raised doubts about the death of former OpenAI employee Suchir Balaji, suggesting that it might not have been a suicide. Balaji, 26, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, sparking suspicions from his family, particularly his mother, Poornima Ramarao. She has called for an FBI investigation into the matter, challenging the police’s findings.
Poornima Ramarao posted on X, revealing that a second autopsy and private investigation were conducted to uncover the true cause of her son’s death. She claimed that the private autopsy did not align with the official cause of death stated by the authorities. According to her, the apartment showed signs of being ransacked, and there appeared to be a struggle in the bathroom. Bloodstains and other evidence led her to believe that someone might have attacked her son there. Poornima referred to the incident as a “cold-blooded murder” that had been misclassified as a suicide, urging for the case to be reopened with FBI involvement.
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Musk Adds Weight to Speculations
Musk responded to Poornima’s post, expressing his scepticism about the police’s conclusion, stating, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.” His comment has sparked further speculation and attention on the case, which remains under investigation.
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Balaji’s Work and Disillusionment with OpenAI
Suchir Balaji was a notable figure in the tech world, having interned at OpenAI in 2018 while studying computer science at UC Berkeley. He later returned to the company, contributing to the WebGPT project, which played a key role in the development of ChatGPT. However, Balaji grew disillusioned with OpenAI’s practices, particularly its use of copyrighted data, and expressed concerns over the ethical implications of AI technologies. This led him to resign from the company in August 2024, citing his discomfort with how the company was handling data.
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In a 2024 New York Times interview, Balaji openly criticized OpenAI for what he viewed as unethical practices. He also warned of the potential harm that AI technologies like ChatGPT could inflict on the internet. Despite his discontent with OpenAI, he was considered a talented and promising figure in the field of AI.
Balaji’s family, including his father Balagi Ramamurthy, described him as happy and well-adjusted during their last conversation, which took place shortly before his birthday. His mother revealed that Suchir had plans to visit them in January, making his sudden death all the more perplexing.
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