Tucker Carlson presses Sam Altman over the death of former researcher Suchir Balaji

American conservative commentator Tucker Carlson asked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during an interview if he was involved in the death of former employee Suchir Balaji. Balaji had worked at the AI company since 2020, but was found dead at his home in November last year.

During a tense exchange aired this week, Carlson suggested the 26-year-old Balaji was “definitely murdered.” He directly asked Altman if he had ordered the killing of the researcher.

“You had complaints from one programmer who said you guys were basically stealing people’s stuff and not paying them, and then he wound up murdered. What was that? Do you believe it was suicide?” Carlson asked.

Altman rejected the allegation, insisting that he “truly believed it was suicide, and Balaji killed himself.”

Carlson: Signs of struggle from autopsy report means he was killed

The question appeared to catch Altman off guard, to which he tried to move past it by saying it was a “gruesome thing to talk about.”

“I haven’t done too many interviews where I’ve been accused of murder,” he remarked, to which Carlson replied, “Oh, I’m not accusing you at all. I’m just saying his mother says that.”

Police ruled Balaji’s death a suicide after an investigation, months after the researcher had spoken publicly about OpenAI’s supposed copyright violations. He posted claims online and was featured in a New York Times article shortly before his death.

The researcher had resigned and was arguably “frustrated” with the company. Looking past police findings, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, supporting Carlson’s queries, is of the opinion that “he was murdered.”

Carlson responded to Altman and mentioned that there were “signs of a struggle” in Balaji’s apartment, including cut surveillance wires and blood in multiple rooms. He continued to say that the deceased showed “no indication at all” of suicidal thoughts, and had even ordered take out food during the time of his death.

Carlson insisted that the official ruling was flawed because there were unanswered questions about the circumstances.

Altman doubled down on his sentiments that Balaji’s death was suicide, saying. “He was like a friend of mine. Not like a close friend, but he had worked for several years with me. I spent a lot of time trying to, you know, read everything I could, as I’m sure you and others did too, about what happened. It looks like a suicide to me.”

When asked why he came to that conclusion, he responded, “It was a gun he had purchased.”

Investigations say suicide, parents call murder

San Francisco authorities closed the case after publishing the autopsy report which stated that there were no signs of forced entry to the deceased’s apartment. It also confirmed that he had purchased the weapon used in the shooting and had searched online for information about brain anatomy before his death.

Balaji’s blood alcohol concentration was recorded in the report as 0.178%, more than twice the legal limit, meaning he could have been intoxicated enough to make a rash decision. 

Forensic investigators also found traces of GHB, a depressant, in his system. Officials concluded that the combination of substances and the firearm he bought pointed to suicide, and there was no evidence of homicide.

Balaji’s parents, on the other hand, are headstrong about the theory of their son’s contracted hit because of his outspoken criticism of OpenAI. His mother, Poornima Ramarao, previously told Carlson in a separate interview that the company “attacked her son and killed him” because he had “documents against the company.”

The family told investigators that Balaji had not shown signs of suicidal behavior in the past. However, they admitted he had been under stress in the months before his death, having quit his job and been searching for new employment.

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