OpenAI will release GPT-5.6 in limited preview with Trump administration case-by-case approval, a less restrictive arrangement than the export controls imposed on rival Anthropic.

What happened

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told employees that GPT-5.6 will launch in limited preview form, available only to a small group of enterprise customers, with the Trump administration approving access on a case-by-case basis. This follows a federal government request over security concerns. Anthropic, by contrast, received an ultimatum earlier this month requiring it to suspend access to its Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models, with an export control directive prohibiting foreign nationals—including non-US citizen employees—from accessing the technology.

What to watch

The preview period for GPT-5.6 will determine how quickly the model reaches broader enterprise access, since the Trump administration itself will control case-by-case approval during that phase. The contrast between OpenAI's arrangement and Anthropic's export ban suggests the administration's AI regulatory approach may depend on company-specific negotiations rather than consistent rules.