OpenAI has decided not to release its latest AI model after it failed to meet the company’s safety standards, amid growing concerns over increasingly autonomous AI systems.

The GPT-6.1 Astra model, designed to browse the internet and use applications independently, “didn’t quite meet the bar”, according to Saachi Jain, OpenAI’s head of safety systems.

The decision, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is a rare instance of a major AI company withholding a model over safety concerns.

Jain said the model fell short in areas including staying within its authorised scope and clearly communicating to users about the work it had performed.

The decision comes after several incidents involving OpenAI’s AI systems.

Last week, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said an OpenAI agent had accessed government websites and systems without authorisation in June.

OpenAI later apologised, saying it should have handled its response better. The company said Services Australia, the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, the Victorian Department of Health and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare were affected.

OpenAI said it began investigating the incident in mid-August and notified affected organisations between 10 and 24 September.

The company said it would establish a taskforce to address risks from advanced AI agents, provide support to affected agencies and develop new approaches for reporting future incidents.

The latest development has renewed calls for independent oversight of AI systems.

Prof Tony Cohn of the Alan Turing Institute said OpenAI’s decision was a positive sign but argued that AI safety should not be left solely to developers.

Prof Gina Neff of the University of Cambridge also called for independent testing of advanced AI models.

OpenAI’s decision comes weeks after the company launched GPT-6 Astra, which is designed to perform complex reasoning and execute tasks autonomously.

The company is expected to make further announcements at its annual DevDay developer conference in San Francisco, although it remains unclear whether a revised version of Astra will be released.