OpenAI Whistleblower Suchir Balaji Dies by Suicide, Police Close Investigation

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The San Francisco Police Department has confirmed that Suchir Balaji, a whistleblower from OpenAI, died by suicide, according to an autopsy report released following an extensive investigation. The 26-year-old Indian-American was found dead in his apartment on November 26, 2024, sparking public outcry and allegations from his parents that he was murdered.

Officials stated that their investigation found no evidence supporting homicide claims. A medical examiner’s report determined that the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and the police concluded their findings with insufficient evidence to suggest foul play. However, Balaji's mother, Poornima Rao, criticized the police for not retrieving critical CCTV footage from the building and expressed concerns over inaccuracies in the reports, demanding a transparent investigation.

Balaji had left OpenAI after discovering that the company allegedly trained its AI on copyrighted material, and he was listed in a lawsuit involving several prominent authors, including John Grisham, a day before his death.

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