White House Requests OpenAI Restrict Release of New GPT 5.6 Model Citing National Security Risks

White House officials have formally requested that OpenAI severely restrict the public release of its upcoming artificial intelligence model, GPT 5.6, over concerns regarding its highly advanced capabilities. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Trump administration has asked the technology firm to limit access to a small number of pre-approved government partners rather than conducting a standard, widespread commercial rollout.

The unprecedented intervention follows a recent enforcement action by the U.S. Commerce Department, which placed a strict export control order on rival AI developer Anthropic. That order forced Anthropic to entirely pull its most advanced flagship models, known as Mythos and Fable, amid warnings from intelligence officials and financial analysts that their advanced cybersecurity capabilities posed unprecedented national security risks. Federal regulators reportedly view OpenAI's new GPT 5.6 model as functionally on par with Anthropic's restricted systems, prompting the administration to step in before public deployment.

Details of the administration's request were first disclosed by industry tracking outlets citing an internal corporate memo sent by OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman. In the communication, Altman revealed that the federal government is currently auditing and approving access to the new model on a customer-by-customer basis. Altman emphasized that while the company is complying with the request to safely navigate a strange moment lacking a unified federal regulatory framework, the staggered approval system is not OpenAI's preferred long-term model. He stated that the firm will continue to collaborate with government officials and industry peers to establish a more sustainable approach for future software rollouts.

OpenAI officially confirmed the restricted launch in a public statement on Friday, reiterating its stance that government-vetted gatekeeping should not become the tech industry default. The company argued that keeping advanced tools away from everyday users, enterprise developers, and digital defenders leaves critical infrastructure more vulnerable to global threats. OpenAI expressed hope that it can quickly collaborate with the administration to establish a transparent safety framework that allows the system to become widely available to the public in the coming weeks.

The ad hoc restrictions highlight a growing sense of confusion and frustration within the domestic tech sector regarding AI governance. Although President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this month asking frontier AI labs to voluntarily submit powerful models for a 30-day review before launching them, a standardized framework has yet to be finalized. Tech executives point out that conflicting directives from the White House and the Commerce Department have created an opaque, unpredictable regulatory environment that risks stifling American innovation. Tech safety super PACs and policy experts maintain that while national security oversight is necessary, the federal government must quickly transition toward a transparent, consistent, and fair regulatory system.

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