OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced on Friday that it is limiting the launch of its latest artificial intelligence model as per 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 may pose cybersecurity risks.
The new AI model, named GPT-5.6 Sol, will initially only be accessible to a select group of trusted partners approved by the Trump administration, according to OpenAI. The company emphasized that they do not consider this government access process as a permanent solution, suggesting that it is a temporary measure leading to wider availability in the near future.
In response to the government’s actions against its competitor Anthropic, OpenAI has decided to introduce its advanced AI system in stages. Anthropic recently took down its latest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, shortly after their public release to comply with a directive from the Trump administration restricting their use by foreign individuals.
The White House stated that it is actively collaborating with leading AI research labs to address the challenges associated with the rapid expansion of AI technology. Concerns have been raised following Anthropic’s cautionary statement earlier this year about the potential weaponization of its Mythos model by malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities in critical computer networks worldwide.
President Trump signed an executive order in June related to AI oversight, establishing a framework for evaluating the national security implications of cutting-edge AI systems before their public launch. OpenAI assured that its new Sol model primarily focuses on assisting in identifying and rectifying vulnerabilities rather than engaging in cyberattacks, although it acknowledged the possibility of unforeseen risks when combined with other tools.
Despite criticisms from cybersecurity experts regarding the government’s actions against Anthropic, OpenAI remains committed to enhancing its safeguards and implementing a phased release strategy for its advanced AI model. Alex Stamos, a cybersecurity expert at Stanford University, questioned the factual basis for the government’s intervention, emphasizing that similar AI models, including those from China, pose comparable risks and that hindering innovation could be counterproductive in the global AI race.