OpenAI will not go public in 2026, Chief Executive Sam Altman said in remarks published on Saturday (September 12, 2026), citing safety concerns over artificial intelligence that render “unacceptable” even a 10% risk that AI could cause human extinction by decade’s end.
The comments come as more U.S. lawmakers urge new rules to govern AI systems after dire warnings from two researchers from OpenAI rival Anthropic that rapidly progressing AI could lead to the extinction of the human race in the not-too-distant future. Mr. Altman wrote. “This has been a primary topic of discussions we’ve had at OpenAI in recent weeks. Safety concerns have not slowed Anthropic’s own IPO plans.
On Saturday (September 12), Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged AI companies to take a more deliberate approach to development.
In June, the New York Times said San Francisco-based OpenAI was considering whether to hold off until next year on a potentially trillion-dollar IPO. Altman also suggested that OpenAI and other leading AI firms may be close to unveiling a pact to slow AI development and work together to tackle safety risks, Fortune said. “I agree with Dario that we need to pace the frontier,” Mr. It is expected to begin marketing its initial public offering in mid-October at the earliest and complete the listing days before the U.S. midterm elections in November, people familiar with the matter told Reuters this month.
