CEO Sam Altman announced on Saturday that the company is postponing the release of its much-anticipated open-weight AI model, due for launch next week.

In a post on X, Altman said that the delay is needed to conduct safety tests on the model and review high-risk areas, emphasising the unprecedented nature of releasing such a model and the irreversible nature of publishing model weights.

"We need time to run additional safety tests and review high-risk areas. We are not yet sure how long it will take us,” Altman wrote, adding, "While we trust the community will build great things with this model, once weights are out, they can’t be pulled back."

This is the second time OpenAI's open model release has been pushed, pointing to the company's cautious approach around AI safety and governance. The open-weight model is supposed to have reasoning capabilities similar to the ChatGPT maker's o-series models.

Altman's attention to safety also comes as the company faces scrutiny around its leadership and safety culture. Multiple senior executives have left the company, saying that it no longer prioritises safety around the technology.