OpenAI CEO Sam Altman endorsed calls for a more cautious pace in artificial intelligence development amid rising safety concerns and fears of losing control over advanced AI systems.
Following Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call for a slower and more balanced approach, Altman told Fortune Magazine that taking OpenAI public at this time would be unwise given the significant safety challenges faced by the AI industry.
“I actually think that, given everything happening with safety, right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public, and we don’t feel pressure on that,” Altman said in the interview.
He emphasized that OpenAI still has much work to do on safety and alignment, suggesting the initial public offering could be postponed beyond 2026. “I would say not 2026. 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,” he added.
Altman highlighted the serious risks posed by increasingly capable AI systems, noting the need for the industry and governments to cooperate closely. He warned against allowing commercial interests or egos to obstruct addressing these broader responsibilities related to AI technology.
“We all have a tremendous amount of responsibility, and cannot let egos or incentives for profit or anything else get in the way,” he remarked.
The OpenAI chief acknowledged that the AI sector has yet to make enough progress on crucial safety issues. He argued that enhancing AI capabilities must go hand in hand with improvements in monitorability and alignment.
“I don’t think we’re currently at a place where we could say, you know, push much further on capabilities without making more progress on monitorability, alignment, the ability to understand what a model is doing, and the ability to make sure that a model will follow human values and the intent of its users,” Altman stated.