OpenAI scraps release of new ‘Astra’ model over safety concerns

Published September 28, 2026 10:06pm ET



OpenAI said Monday that it is no longer releasing its GPT-6.1 Astra model, the company’s most advanced artificial intelligence chatbot, citing safety and security concerns raised by developers testing the model.

Saachi Jain, OpenAI’s chief of safety systems, said in a statement that 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.” The decision to scrap the model in part because of concerns over its ability to remain within an authorized scope comes as leading AI CEOs call for more guardrails in the industry.

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