According to local authorities, Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher turned whistleblower, died in a suspected suicide in San Francisco on November 26.

San Francisco police said they found Balaji dead in his Buchanan Street apartment after he was called to check on his well-being around 1 p.m. on November 26. The Mercury News reported.

In recent years, there have been dramatic improvements in the capabilities of AI-powered chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which rely on large language models to create content for users. However, the process has also been controversial, with some publishers accusing OpenAI of using copyrighted works without permission, and several legal battles are currently ongoing.

Newsweek contacted OpenAI via email outside of regular office hours on Saturday for comment.

The San Francisco coroner’s office said it ruled suicide as the cause of Balaji’s death. Earlier this week, police said there was “currently no evidence of crime.”

Balaji joined OpenAI as a researcher in 2020, but in 2022 became increasingly concerned about the company’s stance on copyright.

In an October 23rd post, I became curious after seeing all the lawsuits against GenAI companies.

“As I tried to better understand the issue, I eventually came to the conclusion that fair use seems to be a fairly implausible defense for many generative AI products, for the reason that they can create substitute products that are compatible with the Data in question is competing.” trained.”

Balaji also shared an interview he gave The New York Timeswhich is currently suing OpenAI over the newspaper’s alleged copyright infringement.

In the interview, Balaji said he initially thought “AI was something that could solve intractable problems, like curing diseases and stopping aging.” But over time, he said he resented OpenAI’s position on copyright and concluded: “If you believe what I believe, you just have to leave the company.”

Balaji wrote on his website that he does not believe the fair use copyright defense applies to what OpenAI is doing with ChatGPT, although he noted that “similar arguments have been made for many generative AI products in a variety of areas.” could become.”

In defense of its business practices, OpenAI said in a recent lawsuit: “The models, like all of us, learn from what came before.”

“The fair use defense exists for precisely this reason: to encourage and enable the development of new ideas that build on previous ideas.”

On November 7, US District Judge Colleen McMahon in New York dismissed a lawsuit against OpenAI filed by media outlets Raw Story and AlterNet.

OpenAI was founded in 2015 by a group of technology enthusiasts, including Sam Altman and Elon Musk, who became its co-chairs. Musk left the company in 2018 after disagreements over its strategy and filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Altman in February 2024.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, texting “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or going to 988lifeline.org.