The White House has stepped directly into OpenAI’s product launch calendar. The Trump administration requested that OpenAI delay and stagger the release of its next AI model, GPT 5.6, citing cybersecurity risks that officials want time to evaluate before the technology reaches a broad audience.
The request came on June 25, following an executive order President Trump signed on June 2 that established a voluntary framework allowing government cybersecurity teams up to 30 days to assess advanced AI models before they go live for partners and the public.
What the new review process looks like
The discussions about staggering OpenAI’s release involved officials from two key offices: the Office of the National Cyber Director and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Sam Altman responded by telling OpenAI staff that the launch would shift to a limited preview, accessible only to a selective group of partners rather than an immediate full rollout.
