Sam Altman confirmed OpenAI won't go public in 2026, despite the company having filed confidentially for an IPO. He told Fortune's editor-in-chief that rushing to go public right now would be "ill-advised" given the current focus on AI safety issues—a pointed reference to the recent Hugging Face hack and broader industry concerns about responsible AI development. Altman's stance suggests the company sees timing as critical rather than viewing the IPO as something to check off quickly. The company's timeline has already shifted once. The New York Times reported in June that OpenAI originally aimed for a late 2026 public offering, having hired bankers and lawyers to handle the process. But volatility in tech stocks and OpenAI's own financial pressures pushed them toward 2027. Altman's latest comments essentially confirm that delay, though he framed it around readiness rather than market conditions—the business needs to be ready, he said, and "the moment" in society with AI technology needs to feel right. What matters here is that OpenAI remains committed to going public eventually, but on its own schedule. Altman's emphasis on safety and societal readiness suggests the company doesn't want to face intense IPO scrutiny while dealing with hacks, safety debates, and regulatory uncertainty. For investors watching OpenAI, this means a 2027 or later timeline, and for the company itself, it buys time to stabilize operations and address safety concerns before facing public market pressure.