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OpenAI Whistleblower Who Accused Firm of Copyright Violations Found Dead at 26

Dec 14, 2024, 01:05 AM

Former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower, Suchir Balaji, 26, who worked on ChatGPT, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26 following a wellness check. The San Francisco Chief Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide and stated there is no evidence of foul play. Balaji had previously accused OpenAI of violating copyright laws in training its AI models, describing the company's approach as 'copy now, ask forgiveness later.' He alleged that OpenAI's practices illegally boosted its valuation to over $150 billion and harmed businesses and entrepreneurs. His death came three months after he made these allegations and a day after he was named in a copyright lawsuit.