OpenAI has deferred its plans for a stock market debut, with chief executive Sam Altman stating the company will not float in 2026. Altman told Fortune that there remains "a lot of stuff to do" concerning AI safety, alignment, and how governments should collaborate with the industry.
The decision to delay the initial public offering (IPO) comes amid increasing scrutiny over the pace of AI system development. Researchers have reportedly warned that safety work is struggling to keep pace with advancements.
Altman acknowledged that AI potentially moving beyond human control is "absolutely" possible and indicated that current safety standards are not yet sufficient for further capability development. He also agreed with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call to slow frontier AI development, stating that this issue has been a "primary topic" of discussion within OpenAI recently. OpenAI also backed Amodei's suggestion for independent evaluators to gain employee-like access to leading AI companies, with Altman confirming OpenAI would implement a similar system.