OpenAI researchers
After criticism of ex-employer: ChatGPT insider found dead
AI researcher Suchir Balaji worked for OpenAI to develop ChatGPT. He then left the company and publicly accused it of breaking the law. Now he was found dead in his apartment.
The death of a 26-year-old AI researcher is causing consternation in Silicon Valley. According to current media reports, ex-OpenAI employee Suchir Balaji was found dead in his apartment in San Francisco on November 26th. The police found no signs of foul play, and forensic medicine assumes it was suicide.
A few weeks ago, Balaji caused a stir with public criticism of his ex-employer OpenAI, where he was involved in the development of ChatGPT. Balaji worked for OpenAI for four years, and since 2022 he has been part of a team that collected and organized digital data for training the GPT-4 language model, reports the New York Times. In August he left the company because he had doubts about the legality of his work.
Copyright lawsuits against ChatGPT
At the end of October, a major article appeared in the New York Times in which Balaji sharply criticized his ex-employer’s practices. He concluded that OpenAI was violating copyright law by collecting data and that technologies like ChatGPT were harming the Internet and society, he explained. “If you believe what I believe, you just have to leave the company,” Balaji said.
Balaji’s insider statements hit OpenAI at a legally sensitive point. The company’s handling of the copyright of the data used is widely criticized. The New York Times and other media outlets have sued OpenAI and its major investor Microsoft because the company also used millions of newspaper articles to train its chatbot. The music rights collecting society Gema is also taking legal action against OpenAI. OpenAI takes the position that the company’s work does not violate copyright.
The New York Times had named Balaji in court as one of several current and former OpenAI employees who could provide evidence in their case, according to US media. Balaji’s former employer told CNBC he was saddened by the death: “We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today, and our condolences go out to Suchir’s family at this difficult time.”
Do you have suicidal thoughts? Telephone counseling offers help. It is anonymous, free and available around the clock on (0800) 1110111 and (0800) 1110222. Advice via email is also possible. A list of nationwide help centers can be found on the website of the German Society for Suicide Prevention.
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Source: Stern
