US denies approving OpenAI GPT 5.6 release: Here is what we know
Follow UsWhite House denied approving OpenAI’s GPT 5.6 release.
Reports claimed GPT 5.6 was tested for safety risks before launch.
Officials said AI companies do not need approval to launch models.
OpenAI has reportedly received approval from the US government for the global launch of GPT 5.6. A new report claims that the company evaluated the upcoming model for potential national security risks along with the Department of Commerce’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation. Only after the testing found that no significant risks were involved did the government allow the company to move forward with the launch. However, the White House denied these claims, as the officials stated that they did not approve or authorise the release of GPT 5.6. They further added that under current US rules, companies do not need government permission to launch AI models.
SurveyThe GPT 5.6 will be available for the global audience starting July 9. OpenAI recently confirmed the news via its official X handle. The new model will be available in three versions, namely the Sol, Terra, and Luna. When the new mode was introduced last month, the company said that it would only be shared with a small group of government-approved partners. Earlier, reports also claimed that OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman had told employees that access to the model would be granted on a customer-by-customer basis.
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Axios reported on Wednesday that OpenAI decided to move ahead with the public launch after receiving a ‘green light’ from the Trump administration. The report, which was based on an anonymous source, said that the company had been working with the Department of Commerce’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation to test the model for possible national security risks. Furthermore, it also said OpenAI had sent technical experts to Washington DC, to continue working with federal officials.
However, the White House has denied the claims that they gave any approval for the release of the new AI model from OpenAI. A spokesperson from the White House clarified that the administration did not provide permission, clearance, or approval for OpenAI to release GPT 5.6. He further added that no such approval is required and that private companies alone decide when and how to release their AI models.
The statement is in line with an executive order issued on June 2, which proposed a voluntary system where AI companies could allow the government to test new models for up to 30 days before launch. The order clearly stated that the process would not become a licensing or permission requirement for releasing AI models.
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Although the US government said it did not influence OpenAI’s launch of GPT 5.6, it has shown before that it can affect AI releases in some situations. One such example is when the government ordered Anthropic to block access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for foreign users over national security concerns.
