OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced on Friday that it is limiting the launch of its latest AI model following a request from the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. This move is part of the government’s efforts to vet AI technologies that could potentially pose cybersecurity threats. The new AI model, GPT-5.6 Sol, will initially be accessible only to a select group of authorized partners approved by the Trump administration, as stated by OpenAI.
OpenAI emphasized that this government access process is not intended to be a permanent arrangement. The company sees this restriction as a temporary measure before making the AI model more widely available in the near future. This decision comes in the wake of similar actions taken against OpenAI’s competitor, Anthropic, known for its Claude chatbot. Anthropic recently took down its latest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, shortly after their public release to comply with a directive prohibiting their use by foreign individuals under the Trump administration.
The White House expressed its ongoing collaboration with leading AI research labs to address the challenges associated with advancing AI technology. Concerns have escalated following Anthropic’s warning earlier this year about the capabilities of its Mythos model to identify software vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors, posing risks to global computer networks.
In response to an executive order signed by President Trump in June, which established a framework for assessing the national security implications of advanced AI systems before their public release, OpenAI introduced the Sol model. The company assured that Sol focuses on assisting in identifying and rectifying vulnerabilities rather than engaging in cyberattacks, staying within their risk threshold. However, OpenAI acknowledged potential unforeseen risks, particularly when the model is combined with other tools, leading to the decision to implement stronger safeguards and a phased release strategy.
The government’s actions prompting Anthropic to deactivate Fable have drawn criticism from a wide array of cybersecurity experts. Alex Stamos, a cybersecurity specialist at Stanford University and AI security firm Corridor, refuted the factual basis behind the government’s intervention. Stamos highlighted that the perceived risks associated with Fable are not substantially different from those posed by other publicly available AI models, including those originating from China.
In light of the ongoing developments and discussions surrounding AI regulation and security, the tech industry continues to navigate the delicate balance between innovation and safeguarding against potential threats.