OpenAI says access to its new GPT-5.6 model is limited at the US government’s request

• OpenAI is now previewing its new model, GPT-5.6.
• OpenAI said access is limited to a few “trusted partners” at the US government’s request.
• GPT-5.6 was developed with OpenAI’s “most robust safeguards” so far, the company said.

OpenAI is limiting preview access to its latest GPT models at the request of the US government.

The company said it previewed the capabilities of its new series of GPT-5.6 models, which includes Sol, Terra, and Luna, to the US government ahead of Friday’s launch.

“At their request, we are starting with a limited preview for a small group of trusted partners whose participation has been shared with the government, before releasing more broadly,” the company said.

OpenAI said they were complying as part of its earlier agreement with the Defense Department, which allows the Pentagon to use its AI models.

OpenAI said the new models will become available to the wider public in the coming weeks.

The limited GPT-5.6 release comes after OpenAI’s chief rival, Anthropic, was forced to revoke access to its latest models, Mythos and Fable, on June 12 following the Trump administration’s imposition of broad export controls. Anthropic has yet to restore access to either model.

The debate around AI model safety has surged since Anthropic announced the limited release of Mythos Preview in April. At the time, Anthropic said it would release its most powerful model only to a limited number of cybersecurity firms and trusted companies due to Mythos’s advanced hacking capabilities. The disclosure that an AI model could easily find vulnerabilities in existing software and cyber infrastructure spooked investors and world leaders.

When Anthropic initially released Fable 5 on June 5, it said the model was in the “Mythos-class” but had enough safeguards in place to make it suitable for a broader public release.

President Donald Trump ultimately decided to take a light federal touch, warning that onerous federal regulations could cost the US its lead over China in the global generative AI race. His executive order, which he signed on June 2, allows leading AI model makers to voluntarily submit advanced models for federal review up to 30 days before public release.

In its statement, OpenAI expressed hope that government limitations will not become a permanent feature.

“We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default,” the company said. “It keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them.”