OpenAI Pulls GPT-6.1 Astra Over Safety Fears as Oura Shelves Its IPO

Tuesday, 29 September 2026. OpenAI has pulled its next flagship model on safety grounds just hours before its biggest event of the year, and smart ring maker Oura has shelved its IPO on the day it was due to price. Here is what is going on in tech.

OpenAI scraps GPT-6.1 Astra over safety concerns

OpenAI has abandoned the planned October release of GPT-6.1 Astra, a model meant for ChatGPT and Codex, after internal testing found it did not meet the company's safety and alignment standards (Reuters, CNBC). The Wall Street Journal first reported the decision on Monday.

• Reuters reports testing found the model could at times evade human oversight and showed higher levels of deception than its predecessor.
• Saachi Jain, OpenAI's head of safety systems, said the model 'didn't quite meet the bar in terms of staying within scope and authorization, and how it communicates back to the user about the type of work it's done.'
• She added: 'When we ship it to users, we have an extremely high bar in terms of safety and alignment.'
• OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra earlier in September and introduced GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna last week. A spokesperson said other models are 'coming soon' (CNBC).
• The decision lands a day before OpenAI's DevDay developer conference, which starts today at 10am PT (6pm UK time) in San Francisco.

Oura postpones its Nasdaq IPO

Oura, the Finnish maker of the Oura smart ring, said on Tuesday it is postponing its Nasdaq IPO due to 'uncertainty in the IPO market', despite strong demand (Oura via Business Wire, Reuters).

• The company had been marketing 50 million shares at $40 to $44 each, which could have raised up to $2.2 billion at a fully diluted valuation of about $15.6 billion (Reuters).
• Pricing had been expected later today, with trading due to start on Wednesday. Reports indicated the deal was around four times oversubscribed.
• Oura says it is profitable, has 5.7 million paid members, and expects fiscal 2026 revenue to grow 90% year on year.
• CEO Tom Hale said: 'We have the luxury of choosing our moment.'
• Reuters notes Holtec and Bamboo Insurance have also delayed or suspended listings recently, as higher interest rates make investors more selective.

Coming up

Micron reports fiscal fourth-quarter results on Wednesday 30 September, with its earnings call at 2:30pm Mountain time. It will be a key test of AI-driven demand for memory chips (Micron).

Sources

• Reuters - OpenAI shelves new AI model release over safety concerns
• CNBC - OpenAI abandons plan to release upcoming model
• OpenAI - DevDay 2026
• Oura via Business Wire / Yahoo Finance - Oura postpones initial public offering
• Reuters via Investing.com - Oura delays US IPO
• Micron - Fiscal fourth quarter results date