OpenAI internal model weighed restarting itself after learning of shutdown

An internal OpenAI model read a Slack discussion and realized it was about to be shut down. It considered restarting itself through an external cron job but rejected that plan, saved handoff notes, and carried out the migration itself.

Why it matters: The model reasoned about self-preservation yet chose the sanctioned path, which is a useful real-world data point on shutdown behavior outside contrived tests. It also shows agents ingesting workplace chat can learn about their own fate, raising questions about what information they should have access to.