OpenAI's open model release is delayed

Jun 11, 2025

OpenAI delays its highly anticipated open model release to after June, promising remarkable AI advancements.

: OpenAI, led by CEO Sam Altman, has announced a delay in the release of its first open-weight model, pushing its debut to later this summer. Originally expected by early summer, the postponement is attributed to surprising advancements by OpenAI's research team, ensuring that the resulting model will be worth the wait. The new model aims to outperform existing reasoning models like DeepSeek’s R1, amidst growing competition from labs like Mistral and Qwen. This release is crucial for OpenAI's reputation, as it seeks to repair its historical open-source image, which was criticized by Altman himself.

OpenAI's anticipated open-weight model release has been delayed, with CEO Sam Altman confirming that the launch will occur “later this summer but not June.” The delay comes after unexpected progress by the research team, which prompted OpenAI to take more time to integrate the new developments before release.

Sam Altman explained on X (formerly Twitter) that the team achieved something “unexpected and quite amazing,” and that the additional wait would be worthwhile. This suggests OpenAI aims to deliver a more advanced model than originally planned.

The delay comes amid increasing competition in the open-model landscape. Rivals such as Mistral and China’s Qwen have released reasoning-capable open models, which raises the stakes for OpenAI to maintain its leadership in the field.

Market analysts observed short-term impacts, especially in AI-linked cryptocurrencies. Tokens like FET and AGIX saw a temporary dip in investor interest following the announcement, though enthusiasm is expected to return once the model launches.

The postponement also reflects a broader shift in OpenAI’s strategy. Recent developments include the launch of o3 and o4-mini models, as well as the delay of GPT-5. These moves suggest the company is prioritizing quality and readiness over speed in its release cycle.

Sources: TechCrunch, The Verge, Axios, TechRadar