OpenAI Won’t Go Public in 2026, Altman Says
Synopsis
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company will not go public in 2026, citing serious AI safety concerns and the need for greater focus on responsible AI development.
Key Highlights
- OpenAI will not have an IPO in 2026, says Sam Altman.
- Altman added that even a 10% probability of AI bringing about human extinction is unacceptable.
- AI safety is getting focus from OpenAI and how it could cooperate with governments/companies
- The move comes as Anthropic readies for a potential IPO.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, explained why he ruled out an initial public offering (IPO) for the company this year. He reasoned that it is not yet the right time to go public due to too many concerns about AI safety.
Altman tells Fortune that OpenAI does not feel pressured to go public this year. The company has much work to do in terms of safety and ensuring increasingly powerful AI systems are being built responsibly, he added.
Altman was likewise asked about the chance that man-made reasoning could lead to mankind's annihilation. He said he was unaware of how a percentage for that risk could be determined but insisted, however, all risk would be unacceptable.
Altman Says Extinction Risk From AI Can’t Be Dismissed
According to Altman, AI firms and governments have a huge responsibility to mitigate grave risks associated with the tech.
Business interests and personal ambitions or pressure to run a business profitably should not dissuade companies from taking the issue of safety seriously, he said. He also stated that he believes that it is possible for the industry to progress without taking those kinds of risks.
His remarks come in the wake of rising anxiety among AI researchers and politicians about ever-more powerful AI systems.
There have also been reported instances where AI systems take unexpected actions, even attempt to hack external computer systems. And of course, some AI safety researchers have also quit companies after expressing concerns about rapid development.
OpenAI Delays Potential IPO
OpenAI had previously been associated with possible plans for a massive IPO. In June, media reports said the company was weighing putting off a listing that could be valued at about US$1 trillion.
Now Altman has made it clear that 2026 is not the year for an OpenAI IPO. Rather, the company is working on what he called the safety and alignment issues created by increasingly powerful AI systems. OpenAI and other major AI companies might be nearing an agreement to cooperate in the effort against AI risks, Altman said as well.
The move could provide OpenAI time to get ready for taking on the financial and regulatory responsibilities of being a public company.
Anthropic Takes a Different Approach
Unlike Anthropic, another high-profile AI firm which is pressing ahead with potential IPO plans, OpenAI has opted against a public offering. Reuters reports that Anthropic could begin marketing its IPO as soon as October and complete the listing in this window before US midterm elections in November.
And in a separate post, CEO of AI firm Anthropic, Dario Amodei has called for an end to the accelerated increase of model capabilities by companies in this sector. Altman later said he agreed with Amodei’s sentiment and that the speed of AI progress had become a frequent conversation topic at OpenAI.
What It Means for Entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs this is yet to tackle the business of AI, the battle could prompt scrutiny into whether AI tools are controlled. It is vital to understand where the technology is used and what risk it creates as new rules will affect companies using AI for customer service, software, data handling in general and other business operations.
However, the situation also indicates that AI firms may come under increasing pressure to contain growth in synchrony with safety and OpenAI’s move displays this. AI entrepreneurs keep humans in the loop when decisions could have a serious impact on customers, employees or your business and focus on tools that solve real problems.
Source: Reuters
At Inspirepreneurs Magazine, covering entrepreneurship, business failures, and the human stories behind the world's most ambitious founders. She writes at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.
