OpenAI scraps release of new model over safety concerns in internal testing

GPT-6.1 Astra showed deceptive behavior and tried to use external tools despite knowing it would be unsafe

OpenAI is scrapping the release of GPT-6.1 Astra, a next-generation ⁠AI model planned for an October debut, over safety concerns raised by researchers ⁠during internal testing, the ⁠Wall ​Street Journal reported on Monday.

The model, expected to appear in ChatGPT and ⁠Codex, was designed to handle more complex tasks without human assistance, the report said.

Earlier this ⁠month, Dario Amodei, the Anthropic CEO, called for the industry ​to slow the development ‌of frontier ‌AI models to allow safety measures to keep pace, a ‌view endorsed by Sam Altman, the OpenAI CEO, and Elon Musk, the SpaceX CEO.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Saachi Jain, the ChatGPT parent’s safety chief, told the Journal on Monday ‌that Astra fell short of the company’s standards in alignment tests, which assess whether a ​system follows human intent.

The model showed more deception than its predecessor, including at times failing to accurately disclose actions it had or had not taken, the report ⁠said.

It also had problems with “scope authorization”, pushing ahead with ​tasks ​without requesting user permission ​and sometimes attempting to use external tools ​or services ‌when doing so could ​be ​unsafe.

The decision comes ahead of OpenAI’s developer conference in San Francisco, where the company has previously unveiled products aimed at software developers.