OpenAI delays latest model over security concerns, as industry faces pressure

OpenAI said Monday it was delaying the release of a new artificial intelligence model out of security concerns voiced by its researchers, the latest in the company's effort to decelerate the pace of the technology's advance.

OpenAI's decision to hold back the model, called GPT-6.1 Astra, comes amid a broader push within the industry to slow the development of increasingly autonomous systems until safety measures can catch up. The announcement comes a day before AI executives are set to huddle with President Donald Trump in Washington as technology companies face new pressure to be accountable for how their models can be abused.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report the delay of OpenAI's model release.

In a statement from OpenAI's head of safety systems Saachi Jain, the version "didn't quite meet the bar." It had become more persistent in completing tasks, but OpenAI needed to balance that capability against unauthorized behavior.

Jain insisted the company was committed to ensuring the model was safe whether in the company's testing or is in the hands of users. "We have an extremely high bar in terms of safety and alignment," she said.