‘This doesn’t seem like suicide’: Elon Musk backs OpenAI whistleblower mother’s allegations on her son’s death

Elon Musk has expressed support for allegations of foul play in the death of 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of copyright violations.

Balaji’s mother, Poornima Rao, has publicly disputed the San Francisco Police Department’s conclusion that her son’s death was a suicide, claiming it to be a case of “cold-blooded murder.” She has demanded a federal investigation, alleging irregularities in the official inquiry and presenting evidence that raises questions about the circumstances of her son’s death.

In a post on X, Elon Musk said, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide,” in response to Rao’s detailed allegations.

Rao shared that a private autopsy conducted by her family contradicted the police’s findings. She also highlighted signs of a struggle in Balaji’s apartment, including blood spots in the bathroom, ransacked belongings, and indications that her son had been assaulted.

“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not support the cause of death stated by police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and evidence suggests he was hit. This is a cold-blooded murder declared as suicide by the authorities,” Rao posted on X, demanding an FBI investigation.

Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher who worked on ChatGPT, had recently been vocal about his concerns regarding copyright violations in generative AI systems.

On October 24, just weeks before his death, he criticized the “fair use” defense commonly cited by AI companies. In a post, he revealed that his skepticism stemmed from lawsuits against generative AI companies and his own experience at OpenAI, where he worked for nearly four years.

“I eventually concluded that fair use seems like a pretty implausible defense for many generative AI products. These systems can create substitutes that compete with the data they’re trained on,” Balaji wrote, urging others to understand the legal and ethical implications of AI development.

The San Francisco Police Department maintains its stance, stating there is no evidence of foul play in Balaji’s death. However, Rao has accused local authorities of corruption and lobbying, vowing to pursue justice for her son through federal intervention.