OpenAI researcher and whistleblower found dead at 26, Musk expresses concern.

According to CNBC's report, Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher who is only 26 years old, was recently found dead in his apartment in San Francisco. This news has brought deep sorrow to the artificial intelligence and technology community. Balaji gained a large following earlier this year when he publicly accused OpenAI of using copyrighted materials to train the ChatGPT chatbot.

David Serrano Sewell, head of the San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office, confirmed via email that Balaji's cause of death has been ruled a suicide. San Francisco police said they were notified on November 26 and went to inspect an apartment on Buchanan Street, where Balaji's body was found. Preliminary investigations did not find any signs of a crime.

Musk also followed this news, and he said, 'Hmm.'

The OpenAI whistleblower was once concerned about AI technology.

Balaji left OpenAI in the first half of this year and publicly accused the company of potentially violating U.S. copyright law during the training of ChatGPT. In an interview with The New York Times in October, he stated that AI systems like ChatGPT could potentially harm the livelihoods of digital content creators and related organizations. He admitted that these ethical concerns prompted him to leave OpenAI.

"If you believe what I believe, then you have to leave the company," Balaji emphasized his concerns about the potential impact of AI technology in the interview.

What is the reaction of OpenAI and the technology industry?

OpenAI expressed condolences to Balaji in a statement: "We are deeply saddened to learn of this extremely heartbreaking news, and our hearts are with Suchir's beloved family and friends, accompanying them through this difficult time."

Balaji's passing comes at a time when OpenAI is facing multiple legal challenges over alleged unauthorized use of copyrighted material to train AI. These lawsuits have been brought by publishers, authors, and artists claiming significant financial losses as a result. In December last year, several news organizations filed lawsuits against OpenAI and its primary backer Microsoft, seeking billions of dollars in compensation.

OpenAI CEO defends training mode

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responded to the copyright allegations earlier this year at the Bloomberg event in Davos, Switzerland. He played down the importance of any single data source for AI model training. He said, "We actually don't need to use their data. Any single training source doesn't have much impact on us."

This article, before the 26-year-old researcher and whistleblower from OpenAI were found dead, Musk expressed concern. It first appeared on ChainNews ABMedia.