OpenAI Whistleblower Death: Suchir Balaji's Mother Says She Used ChatGPT To Analyse Son’s Death
"When we fed the picture to ChatGPT, we found that the splatter of blood is not like what it is supposed to be as per the cause of death," the mother said.
OpenAI Whistleblower Death: The death of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher, has taken a dramatic turn after his mother, Poornima Ramarao, used ChatGPT to analyse evidence that raised doubts about the official ruling of suicide. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, with authorities concluding the case was a suicide.
However, his mother has alleged foul play and is now demanding an FBI investigation.
Why Was ChatGPT Used?
Ramarao’s suspicions grew after discovering unsettling details in her son’s apartment. Bloodstains in the bathroom, she said, didn’t match the police’s conclusions. Using ChatGPT — technology her son had worked on — she analysed the blood splatter patterns and found discrepancies.
"There were signs of a fight in the bathroom and when we fed the picture to ChatGPT, we found that the splatter of blood is not like what it is supposed to be as per the cause of death. We also found separate blood spots in the bathroom that indicate he may have been hit. There was also no suicide note left," Ramarao said during an interview with India Today. "When death by suicide is determined, so many factors are taken into account. The major factor is whether the person is depressed. They didn't even ask us."
To support her claims, Poornima hired a private investigator and ordered a second autopsy, both of which reportedly contradicted the initial ruling.
Musk Weighs In
The case gained traction after Poornima’s social media post, where she called the incident “cold-blooded murder” and tagged prominent figures like Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to draw attention to her plea for justice.
Musk, who has had a contentious history with OpenAI’s leadership, responded directly, stating, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.” His comment has intensified public scrutiny and added weight to the family’s demands for an FBI probe.
This doesn’t seem like a suicide
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 29, 2024
What Went Down
Before his death, Balaji had publicly criticised OpenAI’s alleged misuse of copyrighted material to train its AI models, warning that such practices were unethical and legally precarious. He resigned in October, urging colleagues to consider the risks of continuing with the organisation.
As the family seeks justice, the case has sparked wider discussions on the ethical practices of AI companies and the role of technology in uncovering the truth.
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