Poornima Ramarao is seeking answers about the suicide of her 26-year-old son, Suchir Balaji, who died in his San Francisco apartment on November 26. Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower, had raised concerns about the company’s use of copyrighted material in developing ChatGPT. His death came just a week after he was named in court documents as having critical evidence against OpenAI.The Ramarao family is skeptical about the circumstances of Balaji’s death and has called for a thorough investigation. They have hired an expert for an independent autopsy, but results are pending. While authorities do not suspect foul play, Poornima expressed disbelief, stating, “It’s hard to believe that my son could do this.” The family last spoke with Balaji on November 22, and after failing to reach him the next day, they found his apartment empty and contacted the police, who found his body on November 26.
Poornima claims that a subsequent autopsy and private investigation revealed evidence contradicting the police’s findings, including signs of a struggle in Balaji’s apartment. She described the situation as “a cold-blooded murder declared by authorities as suicide” and has urged the FBI to investigate. Balaji submitted his resignation from OpenAI in October 2023, expressing his concerns over ethical and legal matters, especially in relation to the company’s utilization of copyrighted content. His outspoken position on these issues, coupled with the details surrounding his death, has attracted significant public scrutiny, prompting notable individuals such as Elon Musk to challenge the official narrative regarding the circumstances of his passing. Musk remarked on social media, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide,” thereby endorsing Poornima’s assertions. In her social media posts advocating for accountability, Poornima directed her messages to Musk, Governor Gavin Newsom, Vivek Ramaswamy, and the Ministry of External Affairs of India.
