OpenAI Delays Release of New Open Model Until Later This Summer, Citing Unexpected Advancements

The release of OpenAI's first open model in years has been delayed until later this summer, according to CEO Sam Altman. On Tuesday, Altman posted the update on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the model would not be available in June as initially planned. Instead, the company's research team has made unexpected and significant progress, which warrants additional time for refinement. "We are going to take a little more time with our open-weights model. Expect it later this summer but not in June," Altman wrote. "Our research team has done something truly remarkable, and we believe it will be well worth the wait, though it requires a bit more time." The open model, designed to have reasoning capabilities on par with OpenAI’s proprietary O-series models, was originally scheduled for an early summer release. OpenAI aims to produce a model that outperforms other open reasoning models, such as DeepSeek’s R1. Since OpenAI’s initial announcement, competition in the AI space has intensified. On the same day Altman shared the delay, Mistral, another AI lab known for releasing open models, launched its first family of AI reasoning models called Magistral. Additionally, in April, the Chinese AI lab Qwen introduced a family of hybrid AI models capable of both deliberate problem-solving and fast, conventional responses. To stay ahead in this competitive landscape, OpenAI is exploring several advanced features for its open model. These include the ability to connect to the company’s cloud-hosted AI models for handling complex queries, a feature previously reported by TechCrunch. However, it remains uncertain whether these enhancements will be included in the final product. The release of this open model is crucial for OpenAI’s relationship with the broader AI community, particularly researchers and developers. In the past, Altman has acknowledged that the company has been on the "wrong side of history" regarding the open-sourcing of its models. This new release is seen as an opportunity to improve OpenAI’s reputation and meet the high expectations set by the industry’s leading open-source offerings. By extending the release date, OpenAI hopes to deliver a model that not only excels in performance but also includes innovative features that can set it apart from its competitors. This delay underscores the company’s commitment to quality and its determination to address the concerns and needs of its user base effectively.