OpenAI Rules Out IPO This Year as CEO Altman Cites AI Safety Risks

OpenAI will not pursue an initial public offering (IPO) this year, with CEO Sam Altman stating that prioritizing AI safety makes going public an "ill-advised moment" for the company. The high-profile leader also stressed the gravity of existential threats from the technology, calling even a 10% risk of human extinction by the end of the decade "unacceptable."

IPO Plans Paused

In remarks published by Fortune magazine, Altman confirmed that a public listing is not on the immediate horizon. "I would say not 2026," Altman said, when asked about a potential IPO date, clarifying that the current year is off the table. He cited the immense responsibility of ensuring the safe development of AI as the primary reason for the delay.

"We got a lot of stuff to do, like meeting this moment of what is going to be required for safety and alignment, and how the industry and governments can work together," Altman told the publication. He added that the company feels no pressure to go public at this time.

Addressing Existential Risk

Altman's decision is underpinned by his stark assessment of the potential dangers of advanced AI. While he did not endorse a specific probability of an AI-driven extinction event, he argued that the risk is serious enough to demand an uncompromising approach to safety from both companies and governments.

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"Whether it’s 10 or eight or six, the point is, we all have a tremendous amount of responsibility, and cannot let egos or incentives for profit or anything else get in the way," Altman stated. His comments come as U.S. lawmakers increasingly call for new regulations to govern AI systems.

Broader Industry Concerns

The call for a more cautious approach is echoed by leaders at rival firms. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, recently urged AI companies to "slow the pace at which we improve the capabilities of AI models" in an essay on X. Altman publicly agreed with the sentiment, noting it has been a primary topic of discussion at OpenAI.

Despite these shared concerns, safety-focused rival Anthropic is reportedly proceeding with its own IPO plans, with a potential listing before the U.S. midterm elections, according to a Reuters report citing people familiar with the matter. Altman also suggested to Fortune that leading AI firms may be close to an agreement to slow development and collaborate on tackling safety risks.