Sam Altman: OpenAI won't go public until models are safe

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company will not proceed with a public offering until it can make confident safety claims about its artificial intelligence models. He indicated that a firm timeline for this has not yet been established.

Altman's remarks came during a Q&A session with reporters following his DevDay keynote on Tuesday. He emphasized the need to ensure the safety of AI as its capabilities rapidly advance.

"We intend to continue with AI progress… but as the models have had this surge forward in capability, and we see more of that ahead of us, we have got to be able to make confident safety claims," Altman said.

However, Altman also acknowledged that delaying a potential IPO for too long could be "bad for the world." He did not offer specific details on when these safety assurances would be met.

The comments follow months of discussion surrounding the responsible development and deployment of advanced AI by OpenAI and its industry peers.