By Key Points
- OpenAI Open Model Delayed Again Amid Rising Safety Concerns
- Sam Altman cites the need for more safety testing
- Developers expected a best-in-class open-source model
- Moonshot AI’s Kimi K2 heats up competition with GPT-4.1
OpenAI has once again delayed the release of its much-awaited open model — this time with no defined launch date. The release was initially set for earlier this summer, then pushed to next week, and is now delayed indefinitely.
CEO Sam Altman shared the update on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “We need time to run additional safety tests and review high-risk areas. We are not yet sure how long it will take us.”
we planned to launch our open-weight model next week.
we are delaying it; we need time to run additional safety tests and review high-risk areas. we are not yet sure how long it will take us.
while we trust the community will build great things with this model, once weights are…
— Sam Altman (@sama) July 12, 2025
This is the second delay since June, when Altman had hinted the model achieved something “unexpected and quite amazing,” though he gave no further details.
The model, anticipated to be one of the most advanced open AI systems, was designed for developers to download, run locally, and experiment with freely. This would mark OpenAI’s first open release in several years — and it’s meant to showcase the company’s technical leadership in an increasingly competitive AI landscape.
Altman also highlighted the irreversible nature of releasing model weights, stating, “Once weights are out, they can’t be pulled back. This is new for us and we want to get it right.” Aidan Clark, VP of Research at OpenAI, echoed this sentiment: “Capability-wise, we think the model is phenomenal — but our bar for an open-source model is high.”
100% confirmation that the OpenAI open-source model release was delayed because of Kimi-K2
translation:
our model sucks, gets badly beaten by Kimi-K2, need to train a better one pic.twitter.com/f4sYkau4Ta— Lisan al Gaib (@scaling01) July 12, 2025
This cautious approach comes at a time when multiple AI firms are facing major shakeups. For example, Microsoft recently laid off hundreds of employees from its AI team, a move that surprised many across the tech space. The tension between innovation and responsibility seems to be growing industry-wide.
Competitive pressure mounts with Moonshot’s Kimi K2
OpenAI’s delay comes at a time when the open-source AI community is heating up — fast. On the same day Altman announced the postponement, Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI launched Kimi K2, a one-trillion-parameter open model. According to early benchmarks, Kimi K2 is outperforming OpenAI’s GPT-4.1 model on several agentic-coding tasks.
After DeepSeek R1, there’s new Claude 4 level model from China that outperforms DeepSeek v3, Qwen and OpenAI GPT-4.1
Meet Kimi k2 – 1 trillion parameter model purpose-built for agentic workflows with native MCP integration.
100% Opensource and FREE to try. Let that sink in. pic.twitter.com/aOhUgIac9d
— Shubham Saboo (@Saboo_Shubham_) July 11, 2025
Moonshot’s aggressive move signals the growing momentum of non-U.S. players in the AI race. While OpenAI is pausing for caution, others are surging ahead, potentially shifting developer interest away from its ecosystem.
OpenAI had previously told TechCrunch that its open model would be “best-in-class” compared to other publicly available models. It was also expected to have reasoning abilities on par with OpenAI’s o-series models, known for their speed and versatility.
Yet, while Moonshot’s Kimi K2 is already available, OpenAI remains focused on safety and trust. Altman’s statement implies that the company views its open model as something with real-world impact — one that must be handled with care, especially in an era where powerful AI models can be misused or repurposed.
Introducing OpenAI o3 and o4-mini—our smartest and most capable models to date.
For the first time, our reasoning models can agentically use and combine every tool within ChatGPT, including web search, Python, image analysis, file interpretation, and image generation. pic.twitter.com/rDaqV0x0wE
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 16, 2025
This careful handling reflects larger concerns in the AI world. For instance, Elon Musk’s Grok AI recently sparked backlash for generating controversial content around Hitler, reinforcing why caution is necessary when releasing powerful models into the public domain.
Why OpenAI’s open model still matters
Despite the delay, OpenAI’s open model continues to be one of the most important upcoming releases in AI. Why? Because it’s not just another model — it could set the benchmark for what’s possible in open-source artificial intelligence.
According to internal sources and earlier TechCrunch reporting, the model was designed with features that may go beyond just local use. Discussions are reportedly underway about enabling it to connect to OpenAI’s powerful cloud models for handling complex or resource-heavy queries.
That kind of hybrid functionality could open up a whole new level of development flexibility for engineers and startups.
Furthermore, this release is more than just technical — it’s strategic. With major competitors like Google DeepMind, xAI, and Anthropic investing billions in their own AI systems, OpenAI’s ability to offer a high-quality, safe, and open model is critical to maintaining its position as a leader in the space.
Other tech giants are also feeling the weight of staying competitive in the AI space. Apple recently lost a key AI executive, while Google is under regulatory pressure in the EU due to complaints about its AI overview features. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s exit from Pakistan adds yet another twist in the global AI and tech talent game.
The delay, while frustrating to many developers, suggests that OpenAI is willing to risk losing the spotlight temporarily in exchange for long-term trust and reliability. And when the model does eventually launch, expectations will be sky-high — not just in terms of capability, but also in how safely and responsibly it performs in the wild.
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