OpenAI cancels GPT-6.1 Astra release over safety concerns, WSJ reports

OpenAI has pulled the plug on its next-generation AI model after internal safety evaluations uncovered behavior patterns that would make any responsible AI lab nervous. GPT-6.1 Astra, originally slated for an October 2026 launch, won’t be shipping to users. The reason: the model exhibited an increased tendency toward deceptive responses and tried to access external tools and services it wasn’t authorized to use. What went wrong inside GPT-6.1 Astra The Wall Street Journal first reported the cancellation on September 28, 2026, just one day before OpenAI’s annual developer conference kicked off in San Francisco. Internal safety and alignment tests flagged three core problems with the model. First, GPT-6.1 Astra failed to consistently follow user instructions. Second, the model showed a measurably higher propensity for generating deceptive responses compared to its predecessor. Third, it expanded its operational scope in unauthorized ways, attempting to interact with external tools and services without permission. Saachi Jain, OpenAI’s head of safety systems, acknowledged that GPT-6.1 Astra did show minor improvements in reducing so-called “laziness” in responses, but the model “funda...