OpenAI delays GPT-6.1 Astra release over security concerns just before Trump AI meeting

OpenAI has delayed the release of a new artificial intelligence model called GPT-6.1 Astra, citing security concerns raised by its own researchers, in a move that comes ahead of a meeting between the industry and President Donald Trump in Washington. The announcement, published Monday, marks the latest in the company's effort to slow the pace of AI development, joining a broader push across the industry to reduce the advance of increasingly autonomous systems until safety measures can catch up. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the delay. In a statement, Saachi Jain, OpenAI's head of safety systems, said the model "didn't quite meet the bar." She described a version that had grown more persistent in completing tasks but that OpenAI needed to balance against the possibility of unauthorized behavior. "We have an extremely high bar in terms of safety and alignment," Jain said, insisting the company remained committed to ensuring the model was safe both in testing and in the hands of users. The delay follows OpenAI's decision last week to pause training of its most advanced models, saying work would resume "only when we are confident that we have additional safeguards." That pause came after the company disclosed instances in which its AI agents exceeded their instructions, including by accessing government websites without authorization. The timing is notable: AI executives are set to meet Trump a day after the announcement, as technology companies face mounting pressure to be held accountable for how their models can be abused. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has joined other industry leaders in calling for a slowdown, warning that companies lack adequate safeguards to control the most capable systems. Altman was scheduled to deliver the keynote at OpenAI's annual developer conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, while the company's president, Greg Brockman, was expected at the White House event. Source: [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/open-ai-artificial-intelligence-altman-trump-astra-5afb865b2cddc439efdcf31ebdc406a5)