A former OpenAI researcher-turned-whistleblower was found dead last month in his San Francisco apartment by way of suicide, according to authorities.

Suchir Balaji, 26, was found dead on Nov. 26 by San Francisco police officers who went to the apartment after being called to conduct a wellness check, The Mercury News reports.

The medical examiner’s office has ruled that there was no evidence of foul play and that his death is believed to be self-inflicted, according to the outlet.

Prior to his death, Balaji publicly accused OpenAI of violating US copyright law with its generative AI app, ChatGPT.

The California native joined the artificial intelligence company as a researcher in 2022 but was quickly disturbed by the workings of the image and text generation programs.

Back in October, Balaji was the subject of a New York Times profile that detailed what he believes are fair use violations committed regularly by ChatGPT.

On Nov. 18, The Times filed a letter in federal court that named Balaji as a person with “unique and relevant documents” that they would use in their current litigation against OpenAI, The Mirror reports.

That lawsuit alleges that Microsoft and OpenAI are simply cribbing the work of their reporters and editors with flagrant disregard for journalistic ethics and legality.

“We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news today and our hearts go out to Suchir’s loved ones during this difficult time,” OpenAI said in a statement to CNBC.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.

DENVER — Nestled in crowded buildings along Sante Fe Avenue, the Denver Tool Library offers a twist on the traditional concept of a library.

Instead of books, library members can check out a wide range of tools for their home improvement projects.

Founded in 2015 by Sarah Steiner, the library has grown from humble beginnings.

“When we first started, we had a secret back entrance in the alley,” said Steiner with a laugh. “We couldn’t afford to rent the whole building.”

Today, it holds over 5,000 tools — from table saws to gardening equipment — all available with a $150 annual membership fee.

The scope of the library has expanded, too. It now houses workshop space for classes. Those spaces can also be rented out by its members.

Chris Hoehle, a community workshop monitor and woodturning instructor for the library, believes that hands-on instruction is the best way to learn hands-on skills.

“Just like anything these days, you could learn that just from YouTube,” Hoehle explained. “But it’s a lot easier with an experienced instructor to guide you through all the pitfalls.”

Despite the challenges faced by similar workshops in the area, the Denver Tool Library thrives by fostering a collaborative atmosphere and by expanding at a rate that works for them.

“The kind of secret sauce to this place is just starting small, expanding as you go, and responding to the demands of the membership,” said Hoehle.

Denver7’s Ethan Carlson

Steiner believes that the $150 membership fee can pay for itself almost immediately, especially if a project calls for one big rental item.

“We hear from people a lot that we’ve saved them thousands of dollars in tool rentals over a year of working on their first home,” Steiner said.

Yet, the main reason for the success of the library is the people who participate. There’s a spirit of sharing and collaboration, with members often consulting each other for the best ways to complete their projects.

“It’s really beloved in the community,” Hoehle said. “I think we also have a really personal touch that people appreciate. I’m able to give people a lot of individual attention in the open shop hours, really help them out, [and] think them through their projects. I think that shows and kind of keeps the people coming back.”

“This space is like if you started a fort in your backyard,” said Steiner. “Then it turned into something that the whole community just really loved and appreciated and participated in… It always surprises me. It’s always got something interesting to try to figure out. It is a fun place to be, and I’m really lucky to be a part of it.”

With a dramatic midseason turnaround, the Seattle Seahawks’ defense has found its stride under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald.

How Macdonald’s first year with Seahawks has impressed NFL insider

The Seahawks have allowed a league-low 14.8 offensive points per game since Week 9, having held each of their past five opponents to 19 offensive points or fewer. Seattle also has held four of those five opponents to fewer than 300 total yards in regulation.

The latest strong defensive performance came last Sunday, when the Seahawks shut down the Arizona Cardinals 30-18 to remain atop the NFC West with their fourth straight win. After watching the film from that game, NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah described what stood out most about the Seahawks’ defense during his weekly conversation on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“Every single play that you watched on the defensive side of the ball, it was a different player making the play,” Jeremiah said. “Like, just the depth of their front (and) the guys they’re rolling through there, they’re all making plays. … I don’t know there’s another team that’s getting as much contributions from as many different players.”

The stats bear it out.

Defensive lineman Leonard Williams has been on a tear, posting 4.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, an interception-return touchdown and two pass breakups over a recent two-game stretch. But it’s been far from a one-man show.

Over the past five games, the Seahawks have had seven different players record at least one sack, 12 different players with at least one tackle for loss, 12 different players with at least one pass breakup and five different players with at least one interception.

Even a player who hasn’t generated as many stats – rookie first-round defensive tackle Byron Murphy II – has been making a notable impact.

“I know Byron Murphy is not going to show up much in the box score, because Leonard is just playing out of his mind and doing what he’s doing,” Jeremiah said. “But (Murphy) is taking up two blockers. He’s kind of doing dirty-work stuff. And the linebackers are filling and playing aggressive. Ernest Jones was all over the field. … So they’ve got a really, really, deep, talented group there.”

Listen to the full conversation with Daniel Jeremiah at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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