'Suchir was...': OpenAI addresses whistleblower's death amid mother's 'murder' claims
What's the story
OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research lab, has responded to allegations surrounding the death of its former employee and whistleblower Suchir Balaji.
The company described Balaji as a "valued member" of their team and expressed their sorrow over his passing.
The statement comes after Poornima Rao, Balaji's mother, accused OpenAI of covering up the investigation into her son's death and alleged that it was not a suicide but a murder by the company.
Investigation update
OpenAI offers assistance in investigation, Rao demands FBI involvement
In a statement on X, OpenAI said it has contacted the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and has offered assistance. The company said they trust law enforcement authorities to deal with this situation appropriately and will not comment further out of respect.
Meanwhile, Balaji's family has demanded an FBI investigation into his death, alleging murder and highlighting investigative lapses.
After these allegations, SFPD has reopened the case as an "active investigation."
Allegations
Rao accuses OpenAI of suppressing witnesses, influencing attorneys
In an interview with Tucker Carlson recently, Rao claimed that her son had documents against OpenAI and alleged that the company attacked and killed him.
She also noted that some documents were missing after his death.
"My son had documents against OpenAI. They attacked him and killed him," she told Carlson.
She also accused OpenAI of suppressing witnesses and influencing attorneys to label the death as a suicide.
Recognition dispute
Rao criticizes OpenAI for not recognizing Balaji's contributions
In another interview with influencer Mario Nawfal on X, Rao slammed OpenAI for failing to recognize her son's contributions to their flagship product, ChatGPT.
"But what bothered him was that there was no recognition for his work until he passed away. Even now, there's no acknowledgment from OpenAI of his contributions," she told Nawfal.
Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before resigning in 2023 over dissatisfaction with the company's shift to a for-profit model.