Artificial Intelligence: OpenAI Forced by Washington to Curb the Launch of GPT-5.6

For the first time in its history, the U.S. government has forced an AI company to restrict the launch of a model before its public release. GPT-5.6, OpenAI’s new flagship, will only be accessible to a select few handpicked partners with federal approval required for each client. An unprecedented decision that redefines the rules of the artificial intelligence sector!

June 25, 2026 May Remain a Key Date in the History of Artificial Intelligence

For the first time, the Trump administration has preemptively asked a U.S. AI company to restrict the launch of a model before its public release. The target: GPT-5.6, the most advanced model ever developed by OpenAI. A hard blow for the one who just won several international contracts.

According to The Information, the National Cyber Director’s office and the Office of Science and Technology Policy have asked OpenAI to limit the deployment of GPT-5.6 to a small group of government-approved partners. Access to GPT-5.6 will therefore be granted client by client during this preview period.

Decryption: OpenAI no longer solely controls the launch schedule of its new AI model.

Washington’s request is part of the executive order signed by Donald Trump on June 2, 2026. According to this document, government cybersecurity teams have 30 days to evaluate advanced AI models before their release to partners and the general public.

To Understand Why Washington Reacted So Strongly, You Have to Understand What the AI Model GPT-5.6 Is

GPT-5.6 represents what OpenAI describes as a “significant improvement” over GPT-5.5, which was itself launched only in April 2026. In just a few weeks, the capabilities would therefore have crossed a new threshold.

According to a source close to the matter, both OpenAI and the government consider GPT-5.6 to be “on par” with the AI model Mythos from Anthropic (notably in advanced cybersecurity). Hence the request for controlled deployment. In other words, the AI model GPT-5.6 is not throttled by accident. It is because it is too powerful to be released without oversight.

Note that on June 12, 2026, the Trump administration issued an export control directive binding Anthropic. As a result, the AI models Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are inaccessible to foreign nationals. With OpenAI, the tone is therefore slightly different. However, the management remains identical.

Sam Altman: Between Submission and Subtle Resistance

Faced with this unprecedented pressure, Sam Altman did not choose confrontation. However, he carefully set his limits. In an internal memo, he wrote:

We have clearly indicated to the U.S. government that this is not our preferred AI model in the long term, and we will work with it and other industry players to achieve a more sustainable approach for future versions.

Altman thus acknowledges that the limited access approach is not OpenAI’s preferred strategy in the long run. He nevertheless advocates for a more collaborative framework allowing wider access to artificial intelligence in the future. By publicly accepting the conditions while signaling his fundamental disagreement, Altman thus preserves both the relationship with Washington and his credibility with the tech ecosystem.

The Shockwave Extends Far Beyond OpenAI

This proactive approach suggests that the Trump administration is adopting a much firmer stance on AI national security than its predecessors. For companies that were waiting for GPT-5.6 to integrate its capabilities into their systems, the uncertainty is now total. Indeed, the federal approval process introduces an unpredictable variable that makes any roadmap planning practically impossible.

From a competitive perspective, the question arises. While OpenAI navigates federal restrictions, competitors like Google and Meta continue to deploy their own frontier AI models with far fewer government interferences. This gap could therefore redirect enterprise clients towards alternatives.

In any case, the brake imposed by the Trump administration on OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 launch marks the entry of generative artificial intelligence into the era of strict tech sovereignty. What remains to be determined is whether this AI model will remain American or whether other governments will seize it in turn.