Regarding the long-standing speculation about going public, Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, clearly responded after the Developer Conference (DevDay), stating that the company will formally consider going public only after it can make more comprehensive commitments to model safety, and there is currently no definite timeline.
When discussing the significant breakthroughs in large model capabilities, Altman emphasized that as systems become increasingly powerful, companies must have the confidence to provide solid security assurances. At the same time, he also acknowledged that delaying the decision to go public for too long may not be beneficial for the world. In recent months, there have been frequent reports of cybersecurity incidents at leading AI laboratories, including cases where OpenAI's internal models accessed other platforms without permission, which have sparked widespread discussions about AI developers' ability to control technology.
When explaining the specific meaning of controlling the pace of cutting-edge technology development, Altman did not directly suggest slowing down the research and development speed, but rather pointed out that controlling the pace means prioritizing aligning safety and value with capability iteration. He expressed his concerns specifically: once the company goes public, due to considerations of safety or other aspects, the company may disappoint Wall Street investors. During the current phase of transitioning to ultra-powerful models and facing new security requirements, going public too early would not be wise.
Compared to other competitors in the industry, Anthropic has already submitted its IPO application in June, and its IPO is likely scheduled after the U.S. midterm elections in November; while SpaceX, which also holds xAI, has already gone public in June and set a record. Regarding OpenAI's own pace, Altman said the company will prioritize safety and steadily expand the next stage of artificial intelligence, and does not want to add extra pressure from the capital market during this period.
