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    Disney Legends honor at D23 Expo prompts Robert Downey Jr. pot story

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2490 Views
    Actor Robert Downey Jr. poses during his handprint ceremony at the Disney Legends press line during the 2019 D23 Expo, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

    By Lynn Elber, Television Writer

    ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) --

    Robert Downey Jr. says he had a wild Disneyland ride in his younger days.

    The "Iron Man" and "Avengers: Endgame" star, among those honored Friday as Disney Legends, said his first visit to the Southern California resort included a brief detention for "smoking pot in a gondola."

    "I was brought to a surprisingly friendly processing center, given a stern warning and returned to, if memory serves, one very disappointed group chaperone," Downey said.

    He turned serious when he spoke about the Marvel movies.

    "I get to remain a fan of the first inclusive and evolving cinematic universe ever so far," said Downey, whose character meets a dark fate in "Avengers: Endgame."

    Disney CEO Robert Iger presented the Legends trophy to the actor at the D23 Expo Disney fan event. The company said it honors those who have made remarkable contributions to the Disney legacy.

    Singer Christina Aguilera, actress Ming-Na Wen, journalists Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts and directors Jon Favreau and Kenny Ortega were among others receiving trophies.

    Aguilera, who performed "Reflection" from the Disney movie "Mulan," called it "way cooler than a Grammy."

    Wen thanked her mother for giving her the courage to live "this American dream."

    The actress voiced the role of Mulan and is joining the cast of the upcoming Disney Plus streaming service's "The Mandalorian."

    Tags:D23 ExpoDisney LegendsRobert Downey Jr.



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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