The White House is asking OpenAI to slow roll the release of its new model over safety concerns

OpenAI’s release of its newest model, GPT 5.6, reportedly won’t be like its previous releases.

The short version

• Instead of distributing it to the public, the company plans to share it only with a select group of close partners because the Trump administration told it to, The Information reports .
• At a meeting this week, CEO Sam Altman reportedly told staff that the government would be “approving access customer by customer” during a preview period.
• Altman reportedly added that if the limited release goes well, OpenAI hopes to follow with a general, broader release a “couple of weeks later.”
• In other words, the Trump administration appears to be pressuring OpenAI to do what Anthropic is already voluntarily doing: keeping its most powerful AI models under wraps.

What happened

According to The Information, OpenAI’s new model is not only being reviewed by the administration, but its staffers also “worked closely” with the government on the upcoming release. The agencies that reportedly asked for a limited release were the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Why it matters

The Trump administration — which originally positioned itself as taking a “hands-off” approach to AI — has in recent months pushed for federal oversight of new models.

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