OpenAI delays open-weight model launch to later this summer
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced Tuesday via X that the company’s first open model release in years is delayed until later this summer but sometime after June. The delay accommodates unexpected advances by OpenAI’s research team.
Altman stated on X, “[W]e are going to take a little more time with our open-weights model, i.e. expect it later this summer but not [J]une. [O]ur research team did something unexpected and quite amazing and we think it will be very very worth the wait, but needs a bit longer.”
we are going to take a little more time with our open-weights model, i.e. expect it later this summer but not june.
our research team did something unexpected and quite amazing and we think it will be very very worth the wait, but needs a bit longer.
— Sam Altman (@sama) June 10, 2025
OpenAI initially planned for an early summer release, aiming for “reasoning” capabilities akin to its o-series models, seeking to surpass models like DeepSeek’s R1.
Since OpenAI’s announcement, the field has grown increasingly competitive. Mistral, another AI lab, recently launched its Magistral family of AI reasoning models. In April, Qwen, a Chinese AI lab, introduced hybrid AI reasoning models capable of alternating between deliberate “reasoning” and quick responses.
Beyond benchmark performance, OpenAI has considered integrating complex features into its open AI model, including potential connectivity with the company’s cloud-hosted AI models for complex queries.
The open model’s release is significant for OpenAI’s relations with researchers and developers. Altman has acknowledged OpenAI’s past stance on open sourcing as being on the “wrong side of history.” The company now faces pressure to deliver a competitive open model.