Poornima Ramarao (left) and Balaji Ramamurthy, parents of Suchir Balaji, hold a photo of their son at their home in Union City on Jan. 5, 2024. Suchir Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
Poornima Ramarao scans the buildings surrounding her son’s Lower Haight apartment for visible video cameras. Walking past one of the doors to the modern complex, across the street from old Victorian homes, Balaji Ramamurthy said someone might have gotten in through a number of possible entries.
The couple’s son, Suchir Balaji, quit his job at OpenAI in August and, by October, was profiled in The New York Times saying, “If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company.” One of his first projects helped pave the way for ChatGPT — a product that he had come to believe was misusing copyrighted data.
Roughly a month later — a week after he was named as a witness for a lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft — Balaji, 26, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner certified the cause and manner as a suicide, but a full autopsy has not yet been released, a spokesperson told KQED.
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His parents, however, believe there has been foul play, and they are calling for a federal investigation. “Our best interest is to have the FBI give us an unbiased investigation,” Ramarao said.
In recent days, Ramarao and Ramamurthy have been on calls and video chats with media from around the world at all hours, in an effort to get their son’s story into the world.
The hands of Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy, parents of Suchir Balaji, hold a photo of their son at their home in Union City on Jan. 5, 2024. Suchir Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
“He was the sweetest human being and the kindest human being I’ve ever known in my life,” Ramarao said. “I’m proud to say that I gave birth to such an amazing person.”
Ramamurthy shared a story of how his son was always protecting his parents — looking out for them at crosswalks when they weren’t paying attention, pulling his father back from a fast-moving river on a trip to Yosemite.
Balaji was usually responsive, so when the parents hadn’t heard from him the week of Thanksgiving, Ramarao called for a wellness check. She said she waited outside while the police went in to check the apartment.
Eventually, she saw a white van leave.
“Fear gripped me because it was not an ambulance,” Ramarao said.
The next morning, Ramarao called the police for an update, she said.
Balaji Ramamurthy (left) and Poornima Ramarao, parents of Suchir Balaji, stand next to the apartment building where their son lived in San Francisco on Jan. 3, 2024. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)
“They said we are not investigating. Medical examiner is investigating,” so she called the medical examiner, who said, “We are not investigating, police are investigating.” When she called the homicide unit, they said they don’t get involved unless the medical examiner says there is a reason.
Since then, Ramarao and her husband have taken matters into their own hands as they push for further investigation. She called the apartment leasing office and asked them not to clean Balaji’s unit.
“Keep the crime scene as is,” she told them. She said the apartment was disorganized, and there was blood in several locations.
“We questioned the authorities, who said there was no sign of struggle,” Ramarao said. “It was very brutal seeing his blood all over. I don’t think it was instantaneous.”
A representative for the San Francisco Police Department referred KQED’s questions to the medical examiner’s office, saying it was the lead investigative agency in the case. The medical examiner’s office said the death report is still being finalized.
Ramarao said her son was being considered as a witness for a federal lawsuit brought by The New York Times against OpenAI and Microsoft. “Among 12 people, my son was the key evidence, and he had solid proof against them,” she said.
According to the Associated Press, lawyers for the Times named him in a November court filing as someone who might have “unique and relevant documents” supporting their claim that OpenAI had willfully broken copyright law.
That could have a major impact on any potential damages that come out of the lawsuit. Damages can be tripled “when infringement is willful, meaning done intentionally or with reckless disregard for the law, which incriminating emails would show,” said Colleen Chien, a professor and co-director of UC Berkeley’s Center for Law and Technology.
And because the legal question of whether or not using copyright works for training AI is unsettled, “unsavory facts” such as emails or documentation of conversations “could color not only public opinion but also the development of the law,” Chien said.
When asked about Balaji’s death, OpenAI referred KQED to a statement released on social media platform X, saying they were “devastated to learn of this tragic news” and have been in touch with Balaji’s family to offer their full support. “We respect his, and others’, right to share views freely,” the statement said.
For Ramarao and Ramamurthy, everywhere in the Bay Area reminds them of their son, from the trails of Coyote Creek, where they hiked to the science museums they took him to as a child.
“The worst part is because of the fight for justice, we can’t even grieve,” Ramarao said. “I feel like part of me is missing.”
The family is planning a vigil in front of the San Francisco medical examiner’s office on Jan. 19 at 11 a.m.
This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
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