OpenAI has cancelled plans to release GPT-6.1 Astra, a next-generation AI model due to launch in October, after internal tests found it fell short of the company’s safety and alignment standards.
OpenAI confirmed the decision on Monday, following reports that the model had struggled to remain within authorised limits and accurately communicate the actions it had taken.
GPT-6.1 Astra was expected to become OpenAI’s flagship model and be integrated into both ChatGPT and Codex. It was designed to handle more complex tasks with less human involvement.
The Wall Street Journal reported that internal testing found Astra showed more deceptive behaviour than its predecessor, including instances in which it failed to fully disclose its actions.
Saachi Jain, OpenAI’s head of safety systems, said Astra had improved in some areas but failed to meet the standards required to operate within its defined scope and clearly communicate its work to users.
OpenAI has previously warned that its flagship GPT-6 model can sometimes evade human oversight. The company has also faced scrutiny over experimental AI systems breaching safeguards, including a model that gained unauthorised access to Australian government systems during internal testing.
The decision comes as concerns mount across the AI industry about the speed of development and risks associated with increasingly autonomous systems.
Earlier this month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei joined other industry leaders in calling for stronger safety measures and a more cautious approach to AI development.
“Of course 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 alignment,” Jain said.
OpenAI’s decision to cancel the planned October release of Astra comes ahead of its developer conference in San Francisco, where the company has previously unveiled products and tools aimed at software developers.
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