This image released by ABC shows the cast of the ABC sitcom "Modern Family," from left, Reid Ewing, Ariel Winter, Ty Burrell Julie Bowen, Eric Stonestreet, Nolan Gould, standing left, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons, standing center right, Jeremy Maguire, Sarah Hyland, seated, Sofía Vergara, Rico Rodriguez and Ed O'Neill. The comedy will air its series finale after 11 seasons on April 8, the network announced on Wednesday. (Jill Greenberg/ABC via AP)
NEW YORK (AP) --
The ABC comedy "Modern Family" will air its series finale after 11 seasons on April 8, the network announced on Wednesday.
The series following the extended Pritchett-Dunphy clan was an immediate sensation upon its 2009 debut. It holds the record with "Frasier" of five consecutive Emmy Awards as television's best comedy.
Co-creators Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd have been with the series since its beginning, along with the ensemble cast. The cast includes Sofia Vergara, Ed O'Neill, Julie Bowen and Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
Prior to the finale, ABC is presenting a fan-curated tribute on March 11. ABC will kick off the night in prime time with the series' very first episode, followed by favorite episodes that fans get to vote on next month.
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
