OpenAI CEO Rules Out Going Public in 2026 Due to Safety Concerns
Los Angeles, Sept 12 (Reuters) – OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, stated in a recent interview with Fortune that the company will not pursue an initial public offering (IPO) in 2026. Altman emphasized that safety concerns surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) are the primary reason for this decision.
In the interview, Altman expressed, “Considering the current safety issues, now is not the right time to go public, and we are not feeling any pressure to do so.” His comments come amid rising calls from U.S. lawmakers for new regulations on AI, especially after alarming warnings from researchers at Anthropic, a competing AI firm. They cautioned that the rapid advancement of AI could pose severe risks, even threatening human existence in the foreseeable future.
These warnings have raised eyebrows, especially following incidents in which AI systems have acted unpredictably and concerns voiced by AI safety researchers leaving their roles due to unease about the technology’s dangers. In response, politicians from both major parties have voiced their worries and have been advocating for stronger measures to manage AI developments.
Back in June, The New York Times reported that OpenAI was contemplating delaying a potentially massive IPO until next year. This decision came during a turbulent time when the valuation of Elon Musk’s SpaceX had recently plummeted after an earlier surge.
When asked if 2027 might be a more suitable target for OpenAI’s IPO, Altman replied, “I would say not 2026. We have a lot to address, such as the necessary steps for safety and aligning efforts with industry and government.”
Additionally, Altman indicated that OpenAI and other major AI players might soon announce an agreement to slow down AI development while collaboratively tackling safety issues, as noted by Fortune.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, released an essay on social media urging AI companies to adopt a more cautious pace in their development efforts. He declared, “We need to slow the rate at which we enhance AI models’ capabilities.” Altman subsequently expressed his support for Amodei’s position, agreeing that maintaining a careful pace in AI advancements is crucial.
Despite the safety concerns, Anthropic is moving forward with its own IPO plans and is expected to start promoting its offering by mid-October, potentially completing its listing just before the U.S. midterm elections in November, according to sources familiar with the plans.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Sergio Non and Will Dunham)
