OpenAI's next flagship AI model faces launch delay; White House demands safety checks

OpenAI is expected to launch its new generation AI model, the GPT 5.6, soon, but the company is reported to face delays. The Trump Administration has asked OpenAI to slow down the release and conduct safety checks before a public rollout. The company now plans to release the GPT 5.6 model to a selected group of partners.

The report highlighted that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told staff that the government will be “approving access customer by customer,” till its preview period. Further, Altman said that the company could plan a wider release within weeks. 

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Trump administration is being cautious about the release of powerful AI models and wants OpenAI to take a more cautious approach before releasing them to the public. The US government put similar restrictions on Anthropic’s release of Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5. 

The report suggests that OpenAI has been working with US government officials while developing its new AI model, and that two federal agencies, the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, asked the company to restrict access initially.

Earlier in June, President Trump issued an order to big tech giants and AI companies to let the government conduct tests and risk assessments of new AI models before they are released to the public. However, the order offered “voluntary” tests, meaning companies are not necessarily legally required to participate.

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Powerful AI models developed by companies have recently raised cybersecurity concerns, and these models could be misused to exploit software vulnerabilities, critical infrastructure, and sensitive digital systems. 

Anthropic was at the centre of concerns after the release of Claude Mythos. However, the AI model has been gated off now and is currently being tested among a select group. The company itself claimed that Mythos is too powerful to be released broadly, highlighting that its misuse could cause significant harm.