OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said the company is not in a hurry to launch an initial public offering (IPO), citing concerns surrounding the safety implications of increasingly capable artificial intelligence systems.
Altman made the disclosure during an interview with Alyson Shontell, editor-in-chief of Fortune Magazine, on September 11.
The OpenAI chief said taking the company public at a time when the AI industry is dealing with major safety and alignment questions would not be the right decision.
“We’re not rushing into an IPO. I actually think that given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public,” he said.
According to Altman, OpenAI would consider going public when both the company and the wider environment surrounding AI development are ready for such a move.
When asked about the possibility of an IPO in 2026 or 2027, Altman ruled out an immediate listing, saying the company still has significant work ahead.
“I would say not 2026. We got a lot of stuff to do.”
He explained that OpenAI’s priority is to address the safety and alignment challenges associated with increasingly powerful AI models, while also considering how technology companies and governments can cooperate to manage those risks.
“I’m happy to be able to do that as a private company,” he said.
Altman also reaffirmed OpenAI’s commitment to developing more advanced models and products while continuing its approach of gradually deploying AI systems so society can adapt to each new level of capability.
“We do want to continue to make better models and products, and we do believe in iterative deployment, and I think we have been right that society needs to contend with these models at each level of capability.
But that is different from saying we will just barrel full steam ahead. We’ve talked in the last couple of months about pausing runs as we get to these new level of capabilities to make more safety and alignment progress. We will do more of that going forward.
The CEO further called for increased cooperation between AI companies and governments, including collaboration at the international level.
He said the way AI development is currently structured means companies have to consider more than business objectives and shareholder interests when making decisions.
According to Altman, AI companies also have broader responsibilities because of the potential impact increasingly advanced systems could have on society.
Source: Fortune Magazine
