OpenAI Whistleblower Death: Suchir Balaji's Parents Dispute Suicide Ruling, Claim Autopsy Points To Murder

The parents of Suchir Balaji, an Indian-American techie found dead in his San Francisco apartment on December 14, 2024, have rejected the official suicide ruling and are demanding a murder investigation. Balaji, a former OpenAI employee, was known for his whistleblowing on ethical concerns regarding generative AI.

Balaji’s mother, Poornima Rao, expressed her disbelief over the suicide verdict, citing the findings of a private autopsy which contradicted the police's cause of death. In a social media post, she called for an FBI investigation and tagged high-profile figures, including entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and California Governor Gavin Newsom, to bring attention to the case.

In an interview with NDTV, the parents revealed that the second autopsy report showed signs of struggle, including head trauma, contradicting the initial suicide conclusion. Poornima Rao stated that the lack of a suicide note further supported their belief that it was not a suicide but a murder. “We have facts with the second autopsy-head trauma and signs of struggle. This is not a suicide; it’s a murder,” she stated.

Update on @suchirbalaji

We hired private investigator and did second autopsy to throw light on cause of death. Private autopsy doesn’t confirm cause of death stated by police.

Suchir’s apartment was ransacked , sign of struggle in the bathroom and looks like some one hit him…

— Poornima Rao (@RaoPoornima) December 29, 2024

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Balaji’s father, Balaji Ramamurthi, recounted their last conversation with Suchir on December 22, when he had returned from a trip to Los Angeles in good spirits. "He seemed happy," his father said, adding that Suchir had not picked up another job after leaving OpenAI, likely due to restrictions placed on him. 

His mother suggested that Suchir had been suppressed by OpenAI and had consulted a copyright attorney about his concerns, which led to his revealing interview with the New York Times and, ultimately, his death.

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Suchir, who had worked on the core development of ChatGPT, was reportedly restricted from working with other AI companies. His mother mentioned that Suchir had been researching and planning to publish findings on the limitations of generative AI, including ethical issues related to content theft and misinformation.

The family is calling for an FBI investigation to uncover the truth behind Suchir's death. They also welcomed Elon Musk's support after he commented on the incident, stating, "This doesn't seem like a suicide." An OpenAI spokesperson also expressed condolences, saying, "Our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time."

The Balaji family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for legal costs and a detailed investigation. Describing Suchir as a caring and brilliant individual, his parents lamented his death as a loss to both humanity and the tech industry.