The tragic death of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old Indian-origin tech researcher and former employee at OpenAI, has prompted his family to request an investigation by the FBI. Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26, shortly after celebrating his birthday, leaving his parents questioning the circumstances of his demise.

Balaji’s mother, Poornima Ramarao, has taken to social media to express her belief in foul play, asserting that a private autopsy and investigation revealed inconsistencies with the official suicide ruling. "We hired a private investigator and did a second autopsy to throw light on the cause of death," she stated. Ramarao emphasized that the private findings did not support the police’s conclusion, sharing that "Suchir's apartment was ransacked, with signs of a struggle in the bathroom and blood spots," raising doubts about the police's swift assessment of the situation (Times of India).

The local police ruled out foul play, citing evidence from CCTV footage that showed Balaji was alone in his apartment. However, Ramarao has expressed frustration with this conclusion, stating, “It doesn’t look like a normal situation.” The family has begun legal efforts aimed at pushing authorities to reopen Balaji’s case, underscoring their dissatisfaction with the investigation conducted by the San Francisco police (The Guardian). They launched a Change.org petition and a social media campaign to raise awareness about his untimely death.

During a vigil held in memory of her son, Ramarao recounted the close bond they shared and how Balaji was looking forward to starting a machine-learning nonprofit focused on healthcare, reflecting the ambitious plans he had for the future. “He was financially stable, and he had everything going for him,” she noted, questioning what could have caused the drastic turn in his life within such a short period (Times of India).

While Balaji had recently become disillusioned with OpenAI’s practices, he was a respected figure within the tech sector who had made significant contributions to the organization, including work on the development of ChatGPT. His public criticisms extended to concerns over copyright violations in the AI industry, sparking important dialogues around the ethical implications of artificial intelligence (The Guardian).

Now, Ramarao is imploring the FBI to conduct a thorough investigation, claiming that the local police lack the technical expertise to delve into potential issues involving cybersecurity and whistleblower protection. The family hopes that a federal inquiry will shed light on the mysteries surrounding Balaji's death and provide them with the closure they desperately seek.