Suchir Balaji was a …: OpenAI responds as whistleblower's mother ...
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, expressed sorrow over the death of whistleblower Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November. In a statement released on Friday, the company described Balaji as a "valued member" of their team, adding that his loss continues to be felt deeply.
"Suchir was a valued member of our team and we are still heartbroken by his passing. We continue to feel his loss deeply. We have reached out to the San Francisco Police Department and have offered our assistance if it's needed. Law enforcement are the right authorities in this situation, and we trust them to continue sharing updates as needed," OpenAI said in a statement.
Whistleblower Allegations
Balaji, who passed away in November, had turned a whistleblower against OpenAI, raising ethical concerns regarding the company’s practices. An initial investigation concluded his death to be suicide. However, Balaji's family has rejected this conclusion, calling for an FBI investigation and pointing to signs of foul play. The family have raised questions about the lack of proper investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Poornima Rao, Balaji's mother, accused OpenAI of her son's death, alleging foul play, missing documents, and witness suppression. She recalled her conversations with the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and stated that her son had been in a "happy mood" prior to his passing.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, shared Rao’s interview on his platform X, describing the situation as "extremely concerning."
