Trump Administration Asks OpenAI to Stagger Release of New Model Over Security Concerns
An episode involving how OpenAI will release GPT 5.6 highlights growing industry confusion around the government’s desire to review new AI models prior to their public release.
For AI companies on the verge of releasing cutting edge new AI models, there’s a new normal in the wake of the Trump administration’s tense showdown with Anthropic in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, for example, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman informed staff during a Q&A session that the company would release its latest model, GPT 5.6, in a limited preview to a small group of partners, according to two people familiar with the matter. The company’s biggest rival, Anthropic, followed a similar course in April with Mythos, a new model with powerful cybersecurity capabilities that it shared with select partners rather than opening it up to the public.
The reason for the staggered release, Altman explained: The federal government asked it to do so. Altman said that this was the best path for widely releasing the model as soon as possible, said one of the people. In a Thursday memo, Altman told staff that the government would be “approving access customer by customer during this preview period” for GPT 5.6. He added that he hoped there would be a more general release a “couple of weeks later” if all went well.