Generative AI giant OpenAI CEO Sam Altman clearly stated in a recent interview with Fortune magazine that the company is not eager to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO). In the current security situation and technological context, launching an IPO in 2026 is not a wise choice.

Although there were previous reports that the company had secretly submitted an IPO application, Altman emphasized that OpenAI will only move towards the capital market once its business operations are fully prepared and AI technology has reached a sufficiently mature level in society, directly denying the possibility of completing the listing by 2026.

OpenAI

This statement came after OpenAI experienced a security incident alongside the open-source platform Hugging Face, and also during a critical period when the global tech community was intensively discussing AI safety and regulatory reviews. Previous reports indicated that although OpenAI had started hiring investment banking and legal teams, the original goal was to list in the second half of 2026. However, due to ongoing fluctuations in the tech stock market and the company's own financial resource considerations, the listing schedule is more likely to be postponed to 2027.

At a time when leading large model companies around the world face dual pressures of commercialization and significant R&D investments, OpenAI's decision to slow down the pace of capitalization reflects the cautious choices of top AI institutions in balancing capital market expectations with cutting-edge technology safety governance. As the regulatory environment becomes increasingly stringent, placing safety guarantees and business maturity above short-term public financing may guide the artificial intelligence industry from simply pursuing capital expansion toward a more sustainable and compliant development path in the long term.