2 September 2026

OpenAI's Sam Altman says Astra model training is complete

First reported

The Neuron ran this on .

  • OpenAI completed training on Astra, a new AI model designed to compete with similar systems from other companies.
  • Altman stated the company is deliberately slowing development of more advanced models because the full effects of powerful AI systems remain unclear.
  • A launch timeline for Astra was not specified, though Altman indicated it would come soon.

How it was covered

The NeuronPete Huang & Grant Harvey

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that Astra, their new model likely competing with Fable 5.1, completed training and will launch soon. Later models are being paced because 'no one fully understands the consequences' of advanced AI systems.