OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji, who accused the company of breaking copyright law, has been found dead in apparent suicide

A former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower, Suchir Balaji, 26, was found dead by suicide in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26, according to authorities. Police discovered his body during a wellness check, as reported by The Mercury News.

The medical examiner ruled out foul play and confirmed the death as self-inflicted.

Balaji, a California native, had publicly accused OpenAI of violating U.S. copyright laws through its generative AI program, ChatGPT. He joined OpenAI as a researcher in 2022 but soon voiced concerns over the ethical implications of its text and image generation technologies.

In October, Balaji was featured in a New York Times article, where he outlined his allegations of fair use violations by ChatGPT. Just days before his death, on Nov. 18, the Times submitted a federal court filing naming Balaji as a key individual possessing relevant documents for ongoing litigation against OpenAI, according to The Mirror.

The lawsuit claims Microsoft and OpenAI have infringed on copyright laws by misappropriating the work of journalists, ignoring ethical and legal boundaries.

In response to Balaji’s passing, OpenAI stated: “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today, and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time.”