Trump administration asks OpenAI to limit next model release over security concerns

The Trump administration has formally requested that OpenAI limit the release of its next flagship model, GPT-5.6, to a small set of government-approved partners, citing security concerns. Axios reported on the request, which was made by administration officials concerned about potential misuse of the model's advanced capabilities. OpenAI has not yet publicly responded to the request.

The administration's specific security concerns were not detailed in the report, but the request signals a significant shift in the government's approach to frontier AI releases. The request would effectively narrow the initial deployment of GPT-5.6 to partners vetted by the government, rather than a broad public or enterprise release.

The move comes amid ongoing debate about AI safety and the balance between innovation and regulation.