OpenAI scraps rollout of new model over safety concerns

OpenAI will not release its next-generation model - GPT-6.1 Astra - due to safety concerns, the ChatGPT-maker confirmed on Tuesday.The AI system - which performs tasks like browsing the web and using apps by itself - "didn't quite meet the bar" of the company's standards, Saachi Jain, head of safety systems at OpenAI, said.In recent weeks, top AI leaders including OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic boss Dario Amodei have urged the industry to slow the pace of development due to concerns about risks associated with the technology.The debate around those risks has intensified in recent weeks after models developed by top AI firms were involved in a number of incidents.OpenAI's decision, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is a rare instance of a major AI developer pulling a new release over safety concerns.The latest model fell short in terms of "staying within scope and authorisation, and how it communicates back to the user about the type of work it's done," Jain said."We want to make sure our model development is safe no matter whether that's in the company, or when we ship it to users. But when we ship it to users, we have an extremely high bar in terms of safety and alignm...