OpenAI will gradually roll out GPT-5.6 under pressure from US authorities: a new safety standard or excessive control?
The strategic alliance between the largest AI developers and the U.S. government is reaching a new level. The Trump administration has insisted on a phased rollout of GPT-5.6, fundamentally changing OpenAI's traditional product release model. Instead of a mass release to all users at once, corporate clients will now only gain access to the new model after individual approval from federal agencies.
The early access procedure for corporate partners now requires government sanction. At the initial stage, preview access will be approved for each client individually — an unprecedented control measure previously unseen in the industry.
Why a phased launch?
OpenAI already has experience with gradual model deployment. Suffice it to recall the nine-month delay of the final version of GPT-2 in 2019, the priority launch of GPT-5.5 for paid subscribers on April 23, and the limited access to the specialized cyber version of GPT-5.5. However, the current situation is fundamentally different — this is no longer a voluntary company initiative, but a direct demand from the White House.
Executive Order 14409, signed by Donald Trump on June 2, requires developers to provide the government with up to 30 days of advance access to the most powerful models before their public release. Federal officials will also participate in selecting trusted partners who will receive early access.
New verification and classification mechanism
The National Security Agency will organize a closed review to classify AI systems. The main focus is on identifying hidden hacking capabilities of the algorithms. Simultaneously, the Treasury Department is creating a specialized center for software protection.
It is important to note: the current format of interaction remains voluntary, so state licensing of technologies is not yet anticipated. Officials justify the strict measures solely by the need to protect digital infrastructure. However, former government advisors consider such concerns excessive.
OpenAI has not yet officially commented on the release schedule for GPT-5.6, although experts predict a launch closer to July. The current agreements with the White House will determine future operational standards not only for OpenAI but also for Anthropic — which is already confirmed by the suspension of access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5.
Analyst's opinion: The introduction of federal control over the launch of AI models is a tectonic shift in the regulatory environment. On one hand, it increases security, but on the other, it creates a precedent where the speed of innovation will depend on bureaucratic procedures. For the crypto industry, where AI solutions are actively used in analytics and DeFi, this could mean additional delays in integrating advanced models.