Former OpenAI Researcher Found Dead Months After Exposing Company’s Alleged Copyright Violations
A 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher, Suchir Balaji, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26. The San Francisco Police Department ruled the death a suicide, with no foul play suspected. Balaji had been a researcher at OpenAI for four years before leaving the company in August due to concerns that their development of ChatGPT was violating copyright laws.
Balaji had accused OpenAI of using copyrighted material without permission, and his departure from the company was seen as a significant loss for their legal proceedings against various individuals and businesses who have sued the company over similar claims. The New York Times, for example, has sued OpenAI and its partner Microsoft over allegations that they used millions of published articles to train their AI systems.
In his final weeks, Balaji had spoken out about the potential dangers of ChatGPT, warning that it could lead to the destruction of the commercial viability of individuals, businesses, and internet services that created the digital data used to train the system. He argued that while OpenAI claimed their use of internet data fell under “fair use,” the criteria had not been met.
Balaji’s death has sparked concern and shock within the AI community, with some calling for greater transparency and accountability in the development and use of AI technology.