The Trump administration has asked OpenAI to stagger the release of GPT-5.6, its next major model, citing potential security concerns. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees in a company Q&A that the model will launch in limited preview for enterprise customers only.
During the preview period, the administration will reportedly approve access for customers on a case-by-case basis. It’s a more favorable arrangement than what rival Anthropic received — the administration issued an export control directive requiring Anthropic to suspend access to its Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models for foreign nationals.
The uneven treatment of competing AI companies has raised concerns across the tech industry. After promising a speed-wins approach to AI regulation, the administration’s actions suggest a more restrictive path, with different rules for different companies.
OpenAI hasn’t publicly confirmed the delay. The Information first reported the details of Altman’s internal Q&A session.
