Hard Fork · Friday, July 3, 2026
OpenAI is reportedly delaying the public release of its new GPT 5.6 model, opting for a phased rollout to government-approved partners. This move appears to be influenced by the Trump administration's increasing involvement in AI regulation, with the government requesting the company limit the model's broader availability.
“So, last week, as OpenAI prepared to release its newest GPT 5.6 model, Sam Altman told the staff that they would not be rolling it out to the public right away. They would release it first to a limited group of partners that would be approved by the government.”
“And the Trump administration has asked the company not to release the model more broadly than that. And, uh, he didn't sound happy about it.”
“So, this new business that the government is in of telling AI companies, uh, you can't release this model or you can only release it to a list of customers that we approve, uh, beforehand seems to apply at least to two companies now, and this seems to be coalescing into something more of a broader strategy and not just a single targeted act of retribution.”