Altman says OpenAI IPO in 2026 would be 'ill-advised'

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during a 45-minute interview with Fortune that the company has no plans for an IPO in 2026. He explained that, given everything currently happening around AI safety, this would be an ill-advised moment to take the company public.

Altman said OpenAI does not feel pressure to rush into a public listing, reiterating a long-standing position that the company will go public only when it is ready. He specifically ruled out 2026, noting there is still a lot of work to do before that step makes sense.

Safety concerns and loss of control

The interview covered several other topics, including the recent hacking incident involving Hugging Face and the concept of recursive self-improvement in AI systems. Asked whether it was possible to build an AI system beyond human control, Altman said it was "absolutely" possible.

He added that OpenAI would take action to prevent such a scenario from occurring, even if that meant pausing model training altogether. Altman said there are certain risks that should not be taken on behalf of humanity.

OpenAI remains one of the most closely watched companies in the AI industry, and speculation about a future IPO has circulated for some time. Altman's remarks suggest the company continues to tie that decision directly to progress on safety, rather than to financial or market pressure.