OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company will not go public in 2026 because of concerns about artificial intelligence safety. The decision is significant because OpenAI previously filed a confidential S-1 registration statement with the SEC, although it did not disclose the exact timing, offering size, price range or exchange.

Altman discussed the IPO timing in an exclusive interview with Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell. He also addressed the risks of AI development, the possibility of controlling more powerful models and the need for international regulation.

Altman links IPO timing to AI safety

“We’re not rushing into an IPO. I actually think that given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public,” Altman said.

He said OpenAI would go public “when we’re ready, which is when the business is ready, when we feel ready from what the moment is like in society with this technology.”

Altman also said he did not consider it acceptable to risk humanity’s future for the sake of AI development. He said he was prepared to push back even against OpenAI’s investors if pausing or completely halting model development became necessary.

The CEO also hinted at an agreement with other industry participants to slow model development so that safety and alignment solutions could keep pace with the growth of AI models’ capabilities.

Criticism and a possible 2027 IPO

Against the backdrop of Altman’s comments, Dr. Eli David criticized the approach taken by OpenAI and Anthropic. He suggested that OpenAI’s IPO delay might be tied not to safety concerns but to financial problems and the absence of a clear path to profitability.

OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar previously told employees that the company could become publicly traded by the end of 2027 or earlier.

Source: Incrypted