The mother of deceased OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji has now questioned his former employer and CEO, Sam Altman’s decision to move the organization to “for profit,” stating it’s everything her son stood against.
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji’s mother, Poornima Rao, has shown her concern while reminding everyone of the sacrifice that her son Balaji has made to stand against “injustice being done to humanity’s future” allegedly through AI advancements and profiteering by OpenAI.
26-year-old Balaji was found dead in his apartment in San Francisco last year under mysterious circumstances. The local police have termed his case as that of suicide by gunshot; however, Balaji’s parents have demanded FBI investigation into the case, alleging a larger conspiracy against their son due to his whistleblowing activities against OpenAI.
Suchir foresaw the harm to humanity , which he writes in his journal. He states “I have to somehow stop it.” He went against OpenAI and lost his life,” said Rao in her statement on X.
Balaji had worked at OpenAI as a researcher, and his contribution was immense during the early days of ChatGPT being developed by the organization. However, Suchir had quit the organization over ethical concerns and later openly questioned the policy of AI models of OpenAI being trained on the original works of authors, artists, and journalists.
As a whistleblower, Balaji had believed that OpenAI was flouting copyright laws of the U.S. by simply lifting artists’ works under the “fair use” policy.
What is the OpenAI “for profit” controversy?
OpenAI started in 2015 as a research-focused nonprofit with several notable co-founders, including tech mogul Elon Musk and Sam Altman. However, in 2018, rifts had emerged between Elon and the remaining board of directors over ownership of OpenAI and whether the organization should transform from “non-profit” status to “for-profit.”
However, OpenAI had ultimately moved to a “for-profit” status after four years of its launch to secure funding for the high-cost AI development. Its distinctive layout allowed the nonprofit to take control of the for-profit division, which was highlighted last year when Sam Altman was sacked as CEO but returned a few days later after staff members rebelled.
Elon Musk, a former co-founder of OpenAI who is now among the startup’s most outspoken detractors, is attempting to thwart the plan and filed a lawsuit against Altman and OpenAI in August 2024. Musk claimed that OpenAI broke the terms of the contract by prioritizing profit over the general welfare in its efforts to develop AI.
OpenAI is non profit, means humanity owns the AI tech. If it goes to profit, then Altman and other wealthy people will own AI technology. As such AI Safety experts are leaving OpenAI one by one, this could potentially endanger humanity,” said Rao, in her tweet.
As Poornima Rao’s poignant statement echoes her son’s ultimate sacrifice, the debate over OpenAI’s shift to for-profit grows more intense. Will the AI giant prioritize humanity, or are we witnessing the beginning of a dangerous corporate takeover of technology that was once meant to serve all?
Also Read: Portrait of a Whistleblower: Suchir Warned Us About Perils of AI
