A tech researcher-turned-whistleblower known for his work in artificial intelligence was found dead late last month in his San Francisco apartment, spurring speculation about what went wrong or the young man.
Suchir Balaji, age 26, was discovered deceased on Nov. 26 when police conducted a welfare check at his home, as the BBC reports.
According to the medical examiner's office, Balaji's death was ruled a suicide, with no signs of foul play apparent.
However, it was Balaji's recent statements regarding artificial intelligence -- specifically those of his former employer, OpenAI -- that have added a layer of intrigue to his passing.
Balaji had become an outspoken critic of OpenAI's data harvesting practices, which have embroiled the company in a host of litigation.
It was back in October that Balaji told the New York Times that he believes OpenAI has operated in violation of copyright law, particularly with regard to its development of the ChatGPT tool.
In Balaji's estimation, gleaned from his four years of experience at OpenAI, the company's use of copyrighted material to construct ChatGPT was illegal and that the end product was “damaging the Internet,” claims echoed in lawsuits filed against the firm by the New York Times and a cadre of bestselling authors, among others.
A Cupertino, California, native, Balaji made a name for himself from an early age, succeeding in numerous programming contests and eventually making his way into the tech industry, as NDTV reports.
He was initially captivated by the potential of AI to revolutionize the world, believing that “neural networks could solve humanity's greatest problems.”
“I thought AI was a thing that could be used to solve unsolvable problems like curing diseases and stopping ageing...I thought we could invent some kind of scientist that could help solve them,” he told the Times.
Balaji said that at first, he did not give a great deal of thought to whether his employer had a right to build products off the back of copyrighted material, but in 2022, when ChatGPT launched, he came to the conclusion that the process was a violation of the law.
Perhaps as a result of that realization, Balaji departed OpenAI in August to begin work on what he said were “personal projects,” alluding to no new professional role.
Balaji's former employer, OpenAI has taken issue with his claims, declaring, “We build our AI models using publicly available data, in a manner protected by fair use and related principles, and supported by longstanding and widely accepted legal precedents.”
In the wake of Balaji's passing, an OpenAI spokesperson expressed, “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.”
