OpenAI Delays GPT-5.6 Release at Trump Administration's Request

OpenAI has announced that it will delay the public release of its next-generation AI models, GPT-5.6, at the request of the Trump administration. The company confirmed on Friday that it would first share the models with a small set of customers pre-approved by the US government and then work with the administration to slowly expand access.

The delay is part of a broader effort by the White House to address cybersecurity concerns surrounding powerful new AI models. President Trump signed an executive order earlier this month aimed at addressing these concerns, which includes creating a "voluntary process" for AI labs to share their models with the government 30 days ahead of a broader release.

However, OpenAI executives said that no such voluntary framework exists yet, leaving the company in a difficult position. The White House is asking OpenAI to stagger the release of its AI models, just two weeks after it sent an export control directive to Anthropic, which prompted the company to take its most advanced AI models offline for all customers.

Background and Context

OpenAI has been at the forefront of developing large language models, multimodal models, and text-to-image models. The company's ChatGPT chatbot and DALL·E 2 image generator have essentially kickstarted the current AI boom. Over the past few years, OpenAI has continued to develop new models, including GPT-5.5, which was released less than two months after GPT 5.4.

However, with great power comes great responsibility, and the White House is taking steps to ensure that these powerful AI models are not misused. The executive order signed by President Trump aims to address cybersecurity concerns surrounding AI models, including the potential for them to be used for malicious purposes such as cyberattacks.

Why it Matters to the Industry

The delay in releasing GPT-5.6 and the White House's efforts to regulate AI model releases have significant implications for the adult industry. Adult platforms and operators rely on advanced AI models to power their services, including chatbots, image generators, and text-to-image models.

These models are used to create engaging content, moderate user interactions, and even detect potential security threats. The delay in releasing GPT-5.6 could impact the development of new features and services that rely on these advanced AI models.

What Comes Next

OpenAI plans to broaden the set of customers it can share GPT-5.6 with next week, including some international partners. However, the company cannot share details of how exactly the White House is approving these customers, as it simply sends a list to the US government and receives feedback.

The delay in releasing GPT-5.6 has left OpenAI's customers in an uncertain environment. The company's plans to release new models have been put on hold, and it remains to be seen when they will become available to the public.

Key Facts

• OpenAI is delaying the public release of its next-generation AI models, GPT-5.6, at the request of the Trump administration.
• The delay is part of a broader effort by the White House to address cybersecurity concerns surrounding powerful new AI models.
• No voluntary framework exists yet for AI labs to share their models with the government 30 days ahead of a broader release.
• OpenAI plans to broaden the set of customers it can share GPT-5.6 with next week, including some international partners.
• The company cannot share details of how exactly the White House is approving these customers.
• GPT-5.6 will come in three flavors: Sol, Terra, and Luna, with Sol being the most capable version on benchmarks testing cybersecurity, biology, and agentic abilities.

OpenAI's API Deprecations

As part of its efforts to retire older models and make way for new ones, OpenAI has announced a list of upcoming deprecations. The company provides advance notice before retiring models so customers have time to plan and migrate.

The notice periods vary depending on the type of model, with generally available models receiving at least 6 months' notice and preview models being retired with much shorter notice, such as 2 weeks.

Model Deprecation Notice Periods

• Generally available models: At least 6 months.
• Specialized variants of generally available models: At least 3 months.
• Preview models: Preview models may be retired with much shorter notice, such as 2 weeks.

Open-Weights AI Models

OpenAI has also announced the release of two new open-weights AI models, gpt-oss-120b and gpt-oss-20b. These models are part of a category of AI models that power products like chatbots, image and video generators.

The weights of these models are publicly available, allowing developers to see how they're used in the creation of AI models. This transparency is a significant development in the field of AI research and development.