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Former OpenAI Engineer Suchir Balaji Dies by Suicide in San Francisco at 26 Amid ChatGPT Copyright Concerns

Dec 22, 2024, 12:00 PM

Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT, has died by suicide in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, according to the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office and police reports. Balaji had raised legal concerns about OpenAI's data-gathering practices, alleging that the company violated U.S. copyright law during the development of ChatGPT. He left OpenAI in August after nearly four years with the company, where he contributed to projects like WebGPT and the training of GPT-4. Balaji was considered a key figure in ongoing lawsuits against OpenAI for copyright infringement, including cases brought by The New York Times and book authors like Sarah Silverman. His family described him as a 'happy, smart and brave young man' and are seeking answers regarding his death. OpenAI expressed devastation at the news and extended condolences to Balaji's loved ones. John Schulman, an OpenAI co-founder, paid tribute to Balaji, noting his essential contributions to projects and his departure coinciding with that of co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever.