Elon Musk Weighs In On OpenAI Whistleblower's Mother's Demand For FBI Probe Into Death: 'Doesn't Seem Like Suicide'
Suchir Balaji’s mother said that her family had hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy. The findings, she claimed, did not align with the official ruling of suicide.
The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old Indian-American researcher and former OpenAI employee, is calling for the FBI to investigate her son’s death, which was ruled a suicide by authorities. Balaji, who had recently accused OpenAI of copyright violations, was found deceased in his San Francisco apartment on November 26.
Poornima Ramarao, Balaji’s mother, revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that her family had hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy. The findings, she claimed, did not align with the official ruling of suicide.
She further alleged signs of a struggle in her son’s apartment, including bloodstains in the bathroom. Describing the incident as a “cold-blooded murder,” Ramarao demanded a federal probe, insisting that local authorities had overlooked critical evidence.
Update on @suchirbalaji
— Poornima Rao (@RaoPoornima) December 29, 2024
We hired private investigator and did second autopsy to throw light on cause of death. Private autopsy doesn’t confirm cause of death stated by police.
Suchir’s apartment was ransacked , sign of struggle in the bathroom and looks like some one hit him…
What Did Musk Say?
The post also tagged billionaire Elon Musk and Trump's new AI Advisory member Vivek Ramaswamy, drawing their attention to the case.
Musk, who has had a contentious history with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, responded, stating, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”
This doesn’t seem like a suicide
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 29, 2024
Whistleblower Allegations Against OpenAI
Before his death, Balaji had publicly criticised OpenAI, alleging that its artificial intelligence models were trained using copyrighted material scraped from the internet without authorisation. He argued that this approach could breach copyright laws and harm the digital ecosystem.
In October, Balaji resigned from OpenAI after nearly four years, during which he contributed to data collection for ChatGPT. As reoirted by The New York Times, he urged colleagues to leave the company if they shared his concerns. On his personal website, he elaborated on what he called potential copyright infringement, emphasising that such practices were unsustainable without robust legal protections.
How Did OpenAI React?
OpenAI denied the allegations, maintaining that its data practices complied with “fair use” and supported US innovation. The company stated: “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. We view this principle as fair to creators, necessary for innovators, and critical for US competitiveness.”
As the call for an FBI investigation gains attention, Balaji’s family continues to seek justice, refusing to accept the official narrative surrounding his death.
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