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    Jim Bell, producer for “Tonight Show” and Olympics, departs NBC

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3810 Views
    This Sept. 12, 2019 file photo shows NBC executive Jim Bell at the Save the Children's "The Centennial Gala: Changing the World for Children" in New York. Bell, who has produced the last four Olympics for the network and been in charge backstage at Jimmy Fallon’s “Tonight” show for the past year, says he’s leaving NBC. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    NBC executive Jim Bell, who has produced the last four Olympics for the network and been in charge backstage at Jimmy Fallon's "Tonight" show for the past year, says he's leaving NBC.

    Bell said in a statement that the timing was perfect to forge a new path that would build on his experience in news, sports and entertainment.

    He was a longtime producer of the "Today" show before moving to the Olympics, where he was in charge of NBC's prime-time telecasts. Since 2017, Bell had been in charge of all Olympics content across all platforms.

    At "Tonight," he steered Fallon into more live shows. But the show hasn't gained ground against ratings leader Stephen Colbert at CBS.

    NBC says a former "Tonight" producer, Gavin Purcell, will fill in at the show.

    Tags:Jim BellNBCOlympicsTonight Show



    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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