26-year-old former OpenAI researcher and whistleblower discovered deceased.

• In recent weeks, officials confirmed to CNBC that Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI researcher, was discovered deceased in his San Francisco apartment.
• Earlier this year, Balaji departed from OpenAI and publicly raised allegations that the company had breached U.S. copyright laws while constructing its renowned ChatGPT chatbot.
• San Francisco's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined the manner of death to be suicide, according to David Serrano Sewell, its executive director, who shared this information with CNBC via email.

In recent weeks, Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher, was discovered deceased in his San Francisco apartment, as confirmed by CNBC.

Earlier this year, Balaji left OpenAI and publicly raised concerns that the company had allegedly violated U.S. copyright law while developing its popular ChatGPT chatbot.

David Serrano Sewell, executive director of San Francisco's Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, informed CNBC in an email on Friday that the manner of death of Balaji has been determined to be suicide. He also stated that Balaji's next of kin have been notified.

On the afternoon of Nov. 26, the San Francisco Police Department received a call to conduct a "wellbeing check" at an apartment on Buchanan Street. Upon arrival, officers discovered a deceased adult male with no evidence of foul play in their initial investigation.

The San Jose Mercury News was the first to report the death of Balaji, with a family member requesting privacy.

In October, a story about Balaji's concerns was published by The New York Times.

Balaji stated to the paper that if one agrees with his beliefs, they must depart from the company. He reportedly believed that chatbots like ChatGPT would undermine the commercial viability of those who generate the digital data and content used to train AI systems.

A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed Balaji's death.

The spokesperson expressed their deep sadness upon learning of the news and extended their condolences to Suchir's loved ones in a difficult time.

OpenAI is currently facing legal disputes with several publishers, authors, and artists over allegations that they used copyrighted material for AI training data. A lawsuit filed by news outlets in December seeks to hold OpenAI and its primary backer, Microsoft, responsible for billions of dollars in damages.

"According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, training on their data is not necessary. He believes that any specific training source has minimal impact on their progress."

If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate assistance from a trained counselor.

-- CNBC's Hayden Field contributed reporting.

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