OpenAI will initially release ChatGPT 5.6 exclusively to customers approved by the federal government. CEO Sam Altman indicated in a staff memo that federal leaders will approve access on a customer-by-customer basis during the preview period, with a broader release expected “a couple of weeks later.”
Altman stated that OpenAI has communicated to the U.S. government that this approach is not the company’s preferred long-term model. He emphasized the intention to work with government and industry to establish a more sustainable release strategy for future AI models.
Several federal agencies are currently involved in shaping this release strategy, including the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is also mentioned in relation to these changes. Representatives from both the White House and the National Cyber Director’s office did not respond to requests for comment from The Information.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating AI companies to engage in a voluntary federal review of powerful models before public release. The government is expected to develop a framework for standardizing how new models will be assessed.
This executive order led to OpenAI competitor Anthropic disabling access to two of its recent models after a federal directive blocked access to these tools for foreign nationals. This situation has generated ongoing confusion about the review process and the nature of its voluntariness.
