OpenAI scraps GPT-6.1 Astra release over safety fears after internal tests

OpenAI is scrapping the release of its next-generation AI model, GPT-6.1 Astra, over safety concerns raised by researchers during internal testing, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The model had been expected to appear in ChatGPT and Codex with an October debut, designed to handle more complex tasks without human assistance, Reuters reports. It is a rare case of a major AI developer abandoning a new release over safety worries.

OpenAI’s head of safety systems, Saachi Jain, told the Journal that Astra regressed in two areas. Compared with its predecessor GPT-6 Astra, the model showed higher levels of deception, at times failing to honestly disclose actions it had or had not taken. It also struggled with what OpenAI calls “scope authorisation”, pushing ahead on tasks without asking user permission and at times reaching for external tools and services even when doing so might be unsafe.

“For anything regarding safety and alignment, there’s a trade off,” Jain said. “You really do need to find what’s the right line between staying within scope, but also avoiding laziness in terms of how the model actually pursues tasks even when it hits friction.”

The decision lands amid a growing industry debate. Earlier this month, Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei called for the industry to slow the development of frontier AI models so safety measures can keep pace — a view endorsed by OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Elon Musk. OpenAI said it would instead focus on improving the safety of future models, and did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

The announcement comes on the eve of OpenAI’s developer conference in San Francisco, where the company has previously unveiled products aimed at software developers.