California Congressman Ro Khanna has called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the death of Suchir Balaji, a whistleblower who accused OpenAI of violating federal copyright laws. Balaji’s allegations had gained national attention last year, making him a controversial figure in the tech world.
Khanna’s statement followed the preliminary findings by the San Francisco County Medical Examiner, which ruled Balaji’s death as a suicide. The 26-year-old was discovered deceased in his San Francisco apartment nearly two months ago. However, his family has raised doubts about the cause of death and commissioned an independent autopsy, with results still pending.
Expressing his sympathy on social media platform X, Khanna wrote, “I am heartbroken by your loss,” and emphasized that the FBI or an appropriate agency should investigate the case, considering the family’s suspicions of foul play.
The congressman’s remarks were in response to a post by Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, who had publicly sought an investigation and tagged Vivek Ramaswamy and Kash Patel in her plea. Her call for justice has drawn widespread attention, including from Elon Musk. Musk, a vocal critic of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, questioned the suicide ruling in his own social media post.
Balaji initially made headlines after accusing OpenAI of illegally using internet data to train its AI model, ChatGPT, during an interview with The New York Times. His allegations intensified scrutiny on the AI giant and its practices.
With growing concerns surrounding Balaji’s death, Khanna’s push for a federal probe reflects the seriousness of the case and the unanswered questions regarding the circumstances of the whistleblower’s demise.
