OpenAI will publicly launch its most advanced artificial intelligence model, GPT-5.6, on Thursday after delaying its release last month at the request of the US government amid growing national security concerns over powerful AI systems.
The release comes as the United States and China intensify their race to develop next-generation AI models capable of dramatically improving coding, scientific research and cybersecurity—but which experts also warn could be exploited for sophisticated cyberattacks or military purposes.
According to Axios, the Trump administration approved GPT-5.6’s wider rollout after additional testing and meetings between OpenAI executives and US government officials. The model had previously been available only to a small group of vetted partners whose identities were shared with US authorities.
OpenAI confirmed on X that it will launch its flagship GPT-5.6 Sol model alongside two lower-cost variants, Terra and Luna, expanding access to its most capable AI system.
National Security Concerns
The delay reflects Washington’s increasing scrutiny of frontier AI models amid fears they could be misused by foreign governments, including China and Russia, for cyber operations or military applications.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a voluntary framework allowing AI developers to provide advanced “frontier models” to the US government for up to 30 days before releasing them more broadly.
OpenAI is not the only company facing such scrutiny.
Last month, rival AI firm Anthropic temporarily disabled public access to its advanced Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models after a US export control order raised national security concerns. Access was restored only after the company implemented additional safeguards.
Even now, Anthropic’s cybersecurity-focused Mythos model remains restricted to selected trusted US organisations because of concerns about its potential ability to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities.
US–China AI Competition Intensifies
The competition between Washington and Beijing is also influencing policy on the Chinese side.
Chinese authorities have reportedly held discussions with leading domestic AI firms about restricting overseas access to some of China’s most advanced models, including those still under development.
At the same time, billionaire Elon Musk announced that his AI company will also make its latest flagship model, Grok 4.5, publicly available, adding further momentum to the rapidly escalating AI race.
With GPT-5.6 set to launch on Thursday, the release marks another major milestone in the global competition to build increasingly powerful AI systems while governments seek to balance innovation with national security concerns.
