'This doesn’t seem like suicide...': Elon Musk backs OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji's mother

Elon Musk has thrown his weight behind Poornima Ramarao, the mother of Suchir Balaji, who was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on November 26. Balaji, a former OpenAI employee turned whistleblower, had raised serious concerns about the company’s practices before his untimely death.

Ramarao has challenged the official ruling of suicide, calling for an FBI investigation into what she describes as a “cold-blooded murder.” In a post on X, she revealed findings from a private investigator and a second autopsy, both of which failed to confirm the police’s cause of death. She also alleged that her son’s apartment was ransacked, with signs of a struggle in the bathroom and bloodstains suggesting foul play.

“Lobbying in SF city doesn’t stop us from getting justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” she wrote. Musk reacted to her post with a blunt endorsement, stating, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”

Balaji’s death has sent shockwaves through the tech industry. Known for his outspoken stance on artificial intelligence, he had left OpenAI citing ethical concerns about its impact. In an October interview with The New York Times, he accused the company of violating copyright laws and described technologies like ChatGPT as harmful to the internet.

Before his death, Balaji became increasingly critical of the AI industry, voicing concerns over its implications for humanity. “He felt AI is a harm to humanity,” his mother recalled.

The circumstances surrounding his death have only deepened the mystery. His transition from being a tech innovator to a whistleblower against one of the most prominent AI firms has drawn scrutiny, fueling speculation over the events leading to his demise.