OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, announced on Friday that it is limiting the launch of its latest artificial intelligence model following a request from the U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. This move is part of the government’s efforts to scrutinize AI technologies that may pose cybersecurity threats.
The new AI model, named GPT-5.6 Sol, will initially be accessible only to a select group of approved partners as per the administration’s directives. OpenAI emphasized that they do not want this government access process to become the norm in the long term but see it as a temporary measure during the testing phase before a wider release in the near future.
This decision from OpenAI comes after a similar action taken against their competitor, Anthropic, the developer of the Claude chatbot. Anthropic promptly took down its latest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, shortly after unveiling them to adhere to a directive preventing their utilization by foreign individuals.
The White House confirmed its ongoing collaboration with leading AI laboratories to address the challenges associated with scaling this rapidly advancing technology. Concerns have escalated following Anthropic’s warning about the potential weaponization of its Mythos model by malevolent actors, posing threats to global computer networks.
President Trump’s executive order on AI oversight, signed in June, mandates a 30-day national security evaluation of advanced AI systems before public release. OpenAI’s Sol model, designed to identify and rectify vulnerabilities rather than carrying out cyberattacks, is subject to stringent safeguards due to the unpredictable risks that could arise, particularly when combined with other tools.
Despite assertions from cybersecurity experts criticizing the government’s actions leading to the shutdown of Anthropic’s Fable model, OpenAI remains cautious about the potential risks associated with their enhanced AI capabilities. The company assures a phased release to mitigate any unforeseen issues and maintain a balance between innovation and security in the AI landscape.
