Trump Admin Asks OpenAI to Stagger GPT-5.6 Release

The Trump administration has asked OpenAI to stagger the release of its new GPT-5.6 model. Instead of a public launch, OpenAI will first provide the model to a limited set of clients. This request came from the White House Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. They want to limit the launch while the administration develops an approach to testing and evaluating new AI models for safety. OpenAI has not publicly commented, but CEO Sam Altman reportedly told employees about the phased rollout. The model will go to a small group of enterprise customers. The federal government will reportedly decide which clients can access it during this preview phase. Altman stated this is not their preferred long-term model and they will work with the government on future releases. The White House was reportedly familiar with GPT-5.6's capabilities in advance. Sources compare GPT-5.6 to "Mythos," highlighting its advanced capabilities in sensitive areas. This intervention aligns with a broader overhaul of U.S. policy on frontier artificial intelligence. This matters because it shows how closely the government is monitoring the release of powerful new AI technologies.