Sam Altman says OpenAI IPO won't happen in 2026, calls AI extinction risk 'unacceptable'

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said OpenAI will not go public in 2026, arguing that AI safety concerns make an IPO “ill-advised” even if there is a 10% risk of AI causing human extinction by decade’s end. Speaking in remarks published by Fortune, Altman said he does not know how such a probability could be estimated, but insisted the possibility is serious enough that companies and governments should act as if it cannot be tolerated. His comments follow growing US lawmakers’ pressure for new AI rules after warnings from Anthropic researchers.