Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has confirmed that the company will not go public until it can provide confident safety guarantees for its AI models. Altman noted that there is no firm timeline for an IPO, emphasizing that the company intends to continue its progress in AI while prioritizing safety and alignment above raw capabilities. These comments follow months of industry-wide scrutiny regarding the control of AI systems, particularly after cybersecurity incidents involving major players like OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and Google. Altman explained that "pacing the frontier" means pushing safety and alignment ahead of capabilities. He expressed concern that going public during a shift to highly capable models could lead to pressure from Wall Street that might compromise safety requirements. Ultimately, Altman stated that OpenAI aims to scale to the next stage of AI development without the uncertainty surrounding the risks of its systems, rather than rushing toward an IPO.