OpenAI has announced it will delay the release of its next artificial intelligence model, GPT-5.6, at the request of the White House, which is also seeking to limit access to the model. This comes as the Trump administration has recently intensified security measures for AI companies, including export controls on Anthropic's AI models.
According to reports from U.S. tech outlets The Information and CNN on June 25, the White House's National Cyber Director and Office of Science and Technology Policy requested OpenAI postpone the release of GPT-5.6 for a security assessment. Additionally, the White House has instructed OpenAI to allow only a select number of government-approved entities to access the model prior to its full launch.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, conveyed this information during an internal Q&A session, stating that the release of GPT-5.6 would be delayed and access would be restricted. He told employees, "We have made it clear to the U.S. government that this is not our preferred long-term model, and we will work with government and industry stakeholders to establish a more sustainable approach for future releases." As a result, the launch of GPT-5.6, initially scheduled for this week, is now expected to be pushed to July.
Axios noted that this marks the first instance of the U.S. government proactively intervening in the release of an AI model by an American company. According to Axios, Altman discussed the release of GPT-5.6 with Commerce Secretary Howard Rutnik, who expressed a desire for government agencies to thoroughly test the model for security concerns before it is launched.
The Trump administration has recently blocked foreign access to Anthropic's AI models, Mythos5 and Fable5, due to security concerns, and plans to ensure that future AI models are adequately vetted for security issues before their release. CNN reported that the Trump administration views the performance of OpenAI's upcoming GPT-5.6 as being on par with Mythos.
However, the measures taken against OpenAI are considered less severe than those imposed on Anthropic, according to tech outlet The Verge. Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order requiring AI companies to voluntarily request government review 30 days prior to launching new AI models. However, CNN pointed out that a framework for implementing this order has yet to be established, leading to confusion among AI companies regarding oversight. Notably, the guidance for OpenAI came from the White House, while the guidance for Anthropic was issued by the Department of Commerce.
As competition between U.S. and Chinese AI companies accelerates, Axios assessed that the Trump administration's control measures are placing additional burdens on American AI firms.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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