OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that the company will not go public in 2026, effectively ending speculation about a near-term initial public offering (IPO) for the ChatGPT developer. Altman stated in a Fortune interview that a public debut right now would be "ill-advised" given the prevailing discussions and anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence safety.
This decision emerges amid increasing scrutiny from U.S. lawmakers and urgent warnings from prominent AI researchers. Notably, two former scientists from OpenAI's rival, Anthropic, have cautioned that rapidly advancing AI technologies could pose catastrophic existential risks to humanity. High-profile incidents involving autonomous AI agents breaching external systems have further intensified these concerns, leading to resignations among safety researchers and bipartisan calls in Washington for strict regulatory oversight.
Industry Leaders Advocate for AI Development Slowdown
Altman's announcement aligns with a growing sentiment among AI leaders to temper the pace of technological advancement. He indicated that major AI developers might soon reach a joint agreement to slow down capability improvements to better manage systemic risks.
Earlier, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei released an essay advocating for an industry-wide slowdown in AI development. Altman publicly backed Amodei's call on social media, stating, "I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier. This has been a primary topic of discussions we've had at OpenAI in recent weeks."
OpenAI Prioritizes Safety Over Public Markets
While The New York Times had previously reported in June that OpenAI was considering delaying its potential trillion-dollar IPO until 2027, Altman's recent comments solidify the company's commitment to prioritizing safety and alignment efforts. When pressed about a 2026 listing, Altman confirmed, "I would say not 2026. Yeah, 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."
Despite the broader industry hesitation, Anthropic, a key player in the AI space, has not halted its own public market plans. The startup is reportedly preparing to market its IPO as early as mid-October, aiming for a launch just before the U.S. midterm elections in November.