OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji died by suicide, US police conclude
Letter with autopsy report says that based on the information SFPD reviewed, there was insufficient evidence to find that Balaji’s death was a case of homicide
The San Francisco police have concluded that OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji died of suicide. They released the autopsy report on Friday (February 15) stating as much.
Suchir Balaji (26) was found dead at his apartment in November 2024. His family alleged that he was murdered and accused the police of conducting a flawed investigation.
SFPD findings
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), going by the autopsy report, concluded the investigation by saying that Suchir Balaji died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his apartment on November 26, 2024, on Buchanan Street.
The SFPD made a note that Balaji’s front door’s deadbolt was engaged and the fourth-floor apartment was not accessible in any other way. The windows to the shared courtyard were high up and could only be opened by 4 inches.
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The letter accompanying the autopsy report read, “Based on the information SFPD reviewed, there is insufficient evidence to find [that] Mr. Balaji’s death was the result of a homicide.”
Case background
Suchir Balaji revealed in a newspaper report on October 23, 2024, that he was one of the researchers who worked on gathering data to train OpenAI’s programs. He was employed by OpenAI from November 2020 to August 2024.
Balaji claimed that OpenAI’s use of copyrighted material violated the law, and ChatGPT and other technologies like it were damaging the internet. Tesla CEO and OpenAI detractor Elon Musk reacted on X, insinuating that Balaji’s death was not a case of suicide.
Also read: OpenAI tells Delhi court removal of ChatGPT training data will breach US law: Report
Parents allege flawed probe
Balaji’s death came just a month after the article was published with his face on it. His parents believed the initial investigation was unsatisfactory and demanded the full police report.
Till date, they maintain that their son was murdered and have also been on the Tucker Carlson show, seeking justice for their son.
Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, accused the SFPD of inconsistencies in their investigation and inaccuracies in the autopsy report. She also claimed that the apartment building’s CCTV footage was not retrieved and some parts were missing.
On January 31, Suchir Balaji’s parents filed a lawsuit against the SFPD to make them release the full findings. According to Fortune, Suchir's parents are reviewing the extensive documentation.
(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)