In October, 26-year-old Indian-origin tech researcher and former OpenAI employee, Suchir Balaji, made headlines when he criticised OpenAI in an interview with The New York Times, voicing concerns over potential copyright violations by leading AI companies.
Balaji, who played a key role in organising data for OpenAI’s models, resigned in August, calling its practices unfair. By November, The New York Times’ lawyers named him as a key figure in their copyright case against OpenAI.
“If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave,” he told the Times.
However, on November 26, shortly after his 26th birthday, Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, yet his family remains unconvinced, pushing for a deeper investigation.
Poornima Ramarao, Balaji’s mother offered clues about her son’s tragedy in an exclusive interview with Business Insider.
Balaji’s journey to OpenAI
She revealed that Balaji joined OpenAI in 2018 as an intern and later rose to a pivotal position, contributing to the development of ChatGPT.
A brilliant mind from a young age, he built a computer at 13, wrote a science paper on chip design at 14, and won a national programming contest in high school. At 17, he was recruited by Quora, where his talent blossomed further.
“As a toddler, as a little 5-year-old, he never made mistakes. He was perfect,” recalled his mother who was a software engineer.
“Dad would say, ‘Don’t focus too much. Don’t push him too much,'” she said.
Balaji’s career took off when he joined OpenAI full-time after graduating from UC Berkeley, where he had already earned $100,000 in a TSA-sponsored challenge to improve passenger-screening algorithms.
But as OpenAI shifted from its nonprofit, open-source roots to a more profit-driven model, Balaji grew increasingly disillusioned. His mother revealed that he feared AI’s potential harm to society and the publishing industry.
“He felt AI is a harm to humanity,” Ramarao said.
Balaji publicly voiced his concerns about AI’s ethical implications, especially regarding copyright, he criticised OpenAI’s use of publicly available internet data for profit, questioning its impact on creators’ livelihoods.
By late 2023, Balaji had lost enthusiasm for his work at OpenAI and began openly criticising CEO Sam Altman, as per family accounts. After resigning, he planned to start a machine-learning nonprofit in the medical field.
Suchir’s bond with family
She shared that she had a close bond with her son and recalled driving him to his office in Mountain View during his time at Quora.
She told BI that she initially worried about how Balaji would manage among “so many adults,” but he quickly adapted, making friends to play poker with and enjoying Quora’s well-stocked cafeteria. It became a lesson in trusting her son.
“That’s when I realised my son is truly advanced, and I shouldn’t hold him back,” Ramarao said.
She would arrange Costco shipments to his apartment to ensure he had enough fruit and often brought granola bars and cookies during her visits, knowing he tended to skip breakfast.
She also revealed that Balaji often used to conceal his emotions and always paid for everything.
She mentioned that during their last meal together on November 7, she asked Suchir if, despite the hardships and the way she had raised him, he would still choose her as his mother if given the choice.
“He didn’t think for a second,'” she said. “‘Yes, mom.’ And you know what? As a mother, that will keep me going as long as I’m alive.”
Family coping with Balaji’s tragic death
Balaji’s death has left his family and friends grappling with grief, unanswered questions, and conspiracy theories. The San Francisco police ruled out foul play, citing CCTV footage showing he was alone. However, a private autopsy commissioned by the family yielded “atypical” results, according to Ramarao, though details remain undisclosed.
Balaji’s parents are advocating for the case to be reopened, emphasising the vulnerabilities of whistleblowers. A Change.org petition and a social media campaign aim to raise awareness, while an event in his memory is planned for December 27.
“We want to leave the question open,” Ramarao said.
“It doesn’t look like a normal situation.”
However, Ramarao emphasized that the family isn’t pointing fingers at OpenAI.
Family’s call for investigation
She revealed that Balaji took a break from work after leaving OpenAI in August.
“He said, ‘I’m not taking up another job. Don’t ask me.'”
From his parents’ perspective, all seemed well with the young coder. He was financially secure, with enough OpenAI stock to potentially buy a house, and had plans to start a machine-learning nonprofit focused on healthcare.
“He wanted to do something for society,” his mom said.
On November 21, Balaji celebrated his 26th birthday with friends during a vacation. The following day, he told his mother about his flight details and spoke with his father before dinner, who wished him a happy birthday and mentioned sending a gift. According to Ramarao, the medical examiner’s office concluded that Balaji passed away either that evening or the following morning.
“He was upbeat and happy,” she said. “What can go wrong within a few hours that his life is lost?”
Ramarao told that she did not hear from her son on Saturday and Sunday and thought that maybe he had lost his phone or gone for a hike. On Monday, she went to his apartment and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She considered filing a missing-person report, but hesitated, knowing she would need to go to the police station in person to cancel it later.
“He’ll get mad at me,” she thought.
The following morning, she called the San Francisco police which found his body just after 1 pm.
Ramarao said she was not informed about what had happened nor allowed inside his apartment. As officers arrived, she begged them to check if his laptop and toothbrush were missing, hoping it would indicate whether he had left.
“They didn’t give the news to me,” Ramaro said, “I’m still sitting there thinking, ‘My son is traveling. He’s gone somewhere.’
Around 2 pm, she was told to go home which she refused.
“I sat there firmly,” Ramarao told BI.
Around 3:20 pm, a long white van arrived with its light on.
“I was waiting to see medical help or nurses or someone coming out of the van,” adding, “But a stretcher came. A simple stretcher. I ran and asked the person. He said, ‘We have a dead body in that apartment.'”
About an hour later, a medical examiner and police officers requested a private meeting with Ramarao in the apartment’s office. They informed her that Balaji had died by suicide and, based on CCTV footage, he had been alone. The department spokesperson told BI there was no initial evidence of foul play.
However, Balaji’s parents remain unconvinced and arranged for a private autopsy, which was completed in early December.
Balaji’s parents are working with an attorney to press the San Francisco police to reopen the case and do a “proper investigation.”
OpenAI’s statement
An OpenAI spokesperson described Balaji as a valued team member whose passing deeply impacted his colleagues.
“We were devastated to learn of this tragic news and have been in touch with Suchir’s family to offer our full support during this difficult time,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.
The spokesperson further added that the company first became aware of Suchir’s concerns when The New York Times published his comments.
“We respect his, and others’, right to share views freely. Our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones, and we extend our deepest condolences to all who are mourning his loss.”