Sam Altman says OpenAI won’t go public until its models are safe

<figure> <img alt="" data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Image: The Verge" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/04/STK201_SAM_ALTMAN_CVIRGINIA2D_717b98.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">For months, people have wondered when OpenAI will go public. CEO Sam Altman says it won't happen until the company can make better promises about model safety, with no firm timeline in sight. "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 Tuesday during a Q&amp;A with reporters after his DevDay keynote. At the same time, he said, waiting too long for an IPO would be "bad for the world." </p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Altman's comments come after <a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/996563/ai-safety-research-metr-redwood-openai-anthropic">months of controversy</a> about whether or not OpenAI and its rivals can c …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1002505/sam-altman-openai-ipo-devday-ai-safety">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>