OpenAI IPO will not happen in 2026 amid AI safety fears, Sam Altman says

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has announced that the company will not go public in 2026 due to safety concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, according to a Fortune interview published on Saturday. Altman cited the rapidly progressing AI technology and calls for new regulations by lawmakers as reasons for the delay. The decision comes after dire warnings from researchers at Anthropic, a rival AI company, that AI could lead to the extinction of humanity if it progresses too rapidly.

US lawmakers have responded with alarm and calls for stricter rules to govern AI systems. The news of OpenAI's potential postponement of its IPO follows reports that the San Francisco-based company was considering holding off on the potentially trillion-dollar public offering until 2027. At the time, shares in Elon Musk's SpaceX were falling after a surge that valued the company at $1.8 trillion.

Altman expressed that OpenAI and other leading AI companies may be close to agreeing on a slowdown in development and collaboration to address safety risks. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged AI companies to adopt a more deliberate approach to development, emphasizing the need to slow the pace of AI model improvements. Altman later agreed with Amodei's sentiment, stating that OpenAI has been discussing this topic extensively in recent weeks.

Despite the safety concerns, Anthropic's IPO plans have not been affected, with the company expected to begin marketing its initial public offering in mid-October, well before the US midterm elections in November.