OpenAI Seeks Funding at $1.5 Trillion Valuation Despite AI Safety Calls

OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman speaks at the "Dreamforce 2026" summit in San Francisco, California, on Nov. 15 local time. Reuters-Yonhap OpenAI is pursuing a large new funding round even as the artificial intelligence industry warns of AI's dangers and calls for slowing down development. The move is likely to fuel debate, as criticism grows that the push to slow AI is a way for the largest players to protect their own interests. The New York Times reported on the 16th, citing people familiar with the matter, that OpenAI is weighing an additional funding round targeting a valuation of $1.5 trillion (about 2,053 trillion won). In March this year, OpenAI raised $122 billion at a valuation of $852 billion, the largest single funding round in Silicon Valley history. The sources said investors recently offered to invest at a valuation of $1.2 trillion, but OpenAI pushed for $1.5 trillion, citing accelerating customer growth for its Codex coding tool and its latest AI models, GPT-6 Astra and GPT-5.6 Sol. A successful raise would mark the first time OpenAI is valued above $1 trillion and would make it the world's most valuable private company. The company has raised more than $180 billion since its founding in 2015. The talks emerged after plans for an initial public offering were pushed back to next year. OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said on the 12th that a listing before 2027 was unlikely, adding that pursuing an IPO would be an unwise decision at a time of growing concern about the existential risks of AI. Meanwhile, an "AI standards body" reportedly being pursued by OpenAI, Anthropic and Google is already drawing antitrust scrutiny. Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei proposed on his blog on the 12th that certain safety-related discussions need an antitrust exemption in the interest of AI safety. But Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson called the idea highly suspect, describing it as an attempt to build a moat that keeps rival companies out of the market. David Sacks, chair of the White House science and technology advisory council, said the companies could slow down on their own without government permission and said the coordination looked like a cartel. As the criticism mounted, Anthropic co-founder Tom Brown, who handles government affairs, held a video call on the 15th with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Emil Michael, chief technology officer at the Department of Defense, according to reports. The contents of the discussion were not disclosed, but the call is believed to have been an attempt to ease tensions with the administration. Despite the extensive debate, actual legal restrictions are expected to take time. OpenAI has said it would support the passage of AI regulation bills being pursued in the U.S. Senate and House, but the House will not reconvene until after the November midterm elections, leaving little chance of passage this year.