Key facts
- OpenAI will limit the release of its new AI model, GPT 5.6, to select partners.
- The White House requested the limited release due to concerns about the model's safety and potential misuse.
- Access to GPT 5.6 will be approved on a customer-by-customer basis during a preview period.
- This action is consistent with President Trump's executive order on AI model release oversight.
- Anthropic previously implemented a restricted release for its Claude Mythos model.
The Trump administration has reportedly asked OpenAI to limit the release of its newest AI model, GPT 5.6, due to safety concerns. Instead of a broad public distribution, OpenAI plans to share the model only with a select group of close partners. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly informed staff that the government would be "approving access customer by customer" during a preview period, with a wider release planned a few weeks later if the initial rollout is successful.
The request from the administration, specifically from the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, comes as the government pushes for more oversight of advanced AI models. This move follows President Trump's recent executive order directing certain AI companies to voluntarily submit new models for government testing and evaluation before public release.
This development echoes Anthropic's earlier decision to release its powerful AI model, Claude Mythos, only to a small group of partners through its Project Glasswing. Anthropic cited the model's potential for misuse as the reason for its restricted release, sparking debate about whether this was a genuine safety measure or a marketing strategy.
The concerns surrounding powerful AI models stem from their increasing capabilities, including the potential for generating malware and executing autonomous ransomware attacks. Frontier models are particularly noted for their ability to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities at speeds far exceeding human capacity, posing significant risks to organizations reliant on complex software infrastructure.