The U.S. Department of Commerce has lifted restrictions on the release of OpenAI's latest artificial intelligence (AI) model, GPT-5.6.
Axios reported on July 7, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the Department of Commerce has approved a full public release of OpenAI's GPT-5.6 model for general users.
OpenAI is expected to unveil GPT-5.6 this Thursday, which will include the main model 'Sol' and its sub-models 'Terra' and 'Luna.'
This approval followed additional safety testing and consultations with government officials. According to sources, the safety evaluation was conducted by the AI Standards and Innovation Center under the Department of Commerce. OpenAI has reportedly sent technical experts to Washington, D.C., to respond to the government's technical inquiries.
Last month, the Trump administration required OpenAI to gradually release GPT-5.6 for security reasons, limiting initial access to approved institutions. OpenAI stated at the time that a phased release was not its preferred approach. However, it explained that it was cooperating with the government while specific model release criteria mandated by the latest AI executive order from President Trump had not yet been finalized.
Recently, Anthropic faced similar regulations during the release of its latest AI models. The Department of Commerce prohibited access to Anthropic's Mythos and Fable models from abroad for security reasons last month, effectively withdrawing the two models from the market. However, the Department lifted restrictions on the Fable model last week, allowing Anthropic to resume customer service the following day.
Axios noted that this action demonstrates how the U.S. government and advanced AI companies are coordinating in real-time on the scope and timing of the release of the most powerful AI models.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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