OpenAI delaying IPO amid AI safety concerns, Sam Altman says

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company will not go public in 2026, telling Fortune in an interview released Saturday that "right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public" because of the safety work OpenAI still needs to complete. The delay follows an Anthropic employee's resignation and warning about AI capabilities, and it leaves Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — who warned Saturday that AI development needs to be slowed — as the remaining expected blockbuster IPO in a market that had anticipated offerings from both companies this year.

OpenAI will not go public this year given all the safety work it needs to do, CEO Sam Altman said in a Fortune interview released Saturday. Why it matters: Altman's comments come as fears over doomsday AI scenarios have ramped up since an Anthropic employee resigned and issued a dire warning about AI's capabilities. What they're saying: "Right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public," Altman said. "I would say not 2026, yeah. We got a lot of stuff to do." The intrigue: The market expected blockbuster IPOs from both OpenAI and Anthropic this year. Altman's move puts the ball squarely in Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's court — especially given Amodei's warning Saturday that AI development needs to be slowed. Editor's note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated with more information.