- The Trump administration has asked OpenAI to limit the release of its next model, GPT-5.6, to only a small set of government-approved partners due to security concerns, according to a source familiar with the matter.
- The White House's Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy requested OpenAI to limit the rollout of GPT-5.6 as the administration develops a framework for testing and evaluating the security of new models.
- Altman stated in a memo that he hopes to release GPT-5.6 a couple of weeks later, indicating a potential timeline for wider availability.
- The government intervened due to GPT-5.6's "Mythos-like" capability, not because the administration is taking a heavier hand.
- "We've made clear to the U.S. government that this is not our preferred long term model, and will work with them and others in industry to achieve a more sustainable approach for future releases," Altman said in the memo.
The Trump administration has urged OpenAI to limit the release of its next model, GPT-5.6, to a select group of government-approved partners, citing security concerns. This request comes from the White House's Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, as they work on a framework for evaluating new models' security.12
According to a source familiar with the matter, the government intervened due to GPT-5.6's "Mythos-like" capability, indicating a proactive approach rather than a sudden shift towards stricter regulations. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, expressed in a memo that the company prefers a more sustainable long-term model and is willing to collaborate with the government and industry to achieve this.4
Altman remains optimistic about the timeline, stating he hopes to release GPT-5.6 in a "couple of weeks later". This situation highlights the ongoing tension between innovation in AI technology and the need for regulatory oversight to ensure safety and security in its deployment.3
“The Trump administration has requested OpenAI to restrict the release of GPT-5.6 to a small group of government-approved partners due to security concerns. Altman expressed a desire to release the model more broadly in a couple of weeks.”
