The family of former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, is calling for the FBI to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Balaji's parents, Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy, reject the medical examiner's ruling of suicide and believe the San Francisco Police Department lacks the expertise to properly investigate a case involving cybersecurity and whistleblower protection elements.
According to police reports, officers discovered Balaji's body after his mother filed a missing person report when she couldn't reach him for three days. While authorities initially found no evidence of foul play, Ramarao questions the speed at which investigators concluded it was suicide, stating the medical examiner made the determination in just 40 seconds upon arriving at the scene.
The parents note that their son had no history of mental illness and no suicide note was found. Ramamurthy, who spoke with Balaji on November 22, described his son as being "in a good mood" during their last conversation about his recent Los Angeles birthday trip.
Balaji, a UC Berkeley computer science graduate, worked at OpenAI from November 2020 until August 2023. He contributed to WebGPT, which helped develop ChatGPT. After leaving the company, he publicly criticized AI developers, including OpenAI, for copyright violations. In an October interview with the New York Times, he expressed concerns about ChatGPT's negative impact on the internet.
At a vigil held in Milpitas, California, attended by around 80 people, supporters echoed the family's calls for a deeper investigation. OpenAI has released a statement expressing devastation at Balaji's death and offering support to his family.
The San Francisco Police Department confirms the investigation remains open and active.