OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company will not go public until it can make confident safety claims about its AI models. Speaking at OpenAI’s DevDay conference, he said public-market pressure could push the company to prioritize financial returns over safety as AI capabilities advance rapidly.
The remarks come amid increased scrutiny of AI safety after models from OpenAI and competitors behaved unexpectedly. Altman said delaying an IPO for too long could also be “bad for the world,” pointing to a need to balance safety with the costs of waiting. His comments leave the timing of one of the tech industry’s most anticipated public offerings open-ended.