OpenAI Staggers GPT 5.6 Release After Trump Administration Request in Echo of Anthropic's Mythos Clash

San Francisco, California – OpenAI is staggering the release of its latest artificial intelligence model after a request from the US government, in a move echoing the launch of rival Anthropic's Mythos product and signaling a shift in the White House's approach to AI regulation.

OpenAI said on Friday it was launching its GPT 5.6 series with a "small group" of trusted partners, signaling its dissatisfaction with the move by saying that doing so keeps the best AI tools from "users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them."

"As part of our ongoing engagement with the US government, we previewed our plans and the models' capabilities ahead of today's launch," OpenAI wrote in a blog post. "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."

Echoes of Anthropic's Mythos

Anthropic, OpenAI's close rival, had carried out a similar release programme for its Mythos model but has now pulled the technology entirely after the US government ordered the company to stop foreign nationals from accessing public versions of the model, which has powerful cyber-hacking capabilities. Anthropic had at first delayed the widespread release of Mythos voluntarily, but OpenAI appears to have done so at the federal government's behest.

In another parallel with Anthropic's US government clash over Mythos, OpenAI said all the entities receiving access to GPT 5.6 will be US-based, but it hopes to add foreign partners next week. However, employees of those companies given access who are based abroad in "supported countries" – which include the UK and Australia – will have access to the model.

GPT 5.6: Sol, Terra, and Luna

GPT 5.6 comprises three versions:

• Sol: The strongest of the suite, described by OpenAI as its "strongest model yet"
• Terra: Has slightly lower performance capabilities but is cheaper for users
• Luna: The lowest-cost version

OpenAI said Sol was its "strongest model yet" but did not cross a "cyber critical threshold" under its internal framework for measuring dangerous AI capabilities. It added that Sol was "better at helping people find and fix vulnerabilities than reliably carrying out end-to-end attacks."

Stating its disquiet with the US government approach, OpenAI said: "We don't believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default."

However, the company said it believed taking this "short-term" step was the "strongest path to broader availability in the coming weeks" as it works with the White House to develop a vetting and deployment framework for new models, as required under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.

Government Intervention and Executive Order

OpenAI's chief executive, Sam Altman, told staff this week the federal government had asked for a staggered release. He said the government would be "approving access customer by customer during this preview period" for GPT 5.6 and that it would be released more generally "a couple of weeks later" if the process went well.

"We've made clear to the US government that this is not our preferred long term model, and will work with them and others in industry to achieve a more sustainable approach for future releases," Altman said in the memo, obtained by The Information.

OpenAI had been working with the US government over a preview of the model, which would be used to power OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot. The staggered release was requested after conversations with two government agencies: the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The Information reported that Trump's commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, had intervened against even a limited release, calling Altman to demand approvals from other agencies.

This month, the US president signed an executive order to create a voluntary framework for the federal government to vet powerful new AI models before they are released.

White House Shifts from Deregulatory Stance

The order represents a shift from the White House's previously deregulatory stance on AI. Last year, the vice-president, JD Vance, said "excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry."

However, the White House's stance has changed against a backdrop of rapidly improving model capabilities including Mythos, which has been described by the UK's AI security body as a "step up" over previous cutting-edge models.

The shift reflects growing concerns in Washington about the potential national security implications of powerful AI systems, particularly their ability to assist in cyberattacks, generate disinformation, and accelerate the development of weapons of mass destruction.

Industry Reaction

OpenAI's decision to comply with the government request while expressing dissatisfaction highlights the tension between innovation and regulation that has defined the AI industry's relationship with governments worldwide.

Industry observers noted that OpenAI's complaint about the process – while still complying – may be part of a broader lobbying effort to shape the regulatory framework that the executive order will establish.

Anthropic's experience with Mythos – which was ultimately pulled entirely from public access – serves as a cautionary tale for AI developers seeking to release powerful models while navigating government oversight.

What's Next for GPT 5.6

OpenAI said it hopes to add foreign partners to the preview next week, with the model expected to be released more broadly "a couple of weeks later" if the government approval process proceeds smoothly.

For now, the limited preview means that only a small group of US-based partners will have access to what OpenAI describes as its most powerful model yet – a model that, while not crossing the "cyber critical threshold," still represents a significant step forward in AI capabilities.