OpenAI launches limited release of new AI model in US only

OpenAI on Friday launched a US-only preview of its latest powerful AI model series to a limited group of partners at the request of the US government, the company said.

The release comes two weeks after the US government took Silicon Valley by surprise in ordering OpenAI’s rival Anthropic to ban all foreign nationals from accessing its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, citing national security concerns.

The release marks the debut of OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 series, which comprises three new models: Sol, OpenAI’s new flagship; Terra, a mid-range model for everyday work; and Luna, a fast, low-cost option.

The company said Terra would be priced at half the cost of its predecessor GPT-5.5, as it seeks to lock in customers amid fierce competition from Anthropic and Google.

OpenAI said it briefed the US government on its new models’ capabilities ahead of the launch and, at the government’s request, is beginning with a limited preview for a select group of trusted partners whose identities have been shared with authorities.

The partners are US-based, but OpenAI said overseas employees at those companies or entities would also have access to the new models.

Both Anthropic’s Mythos models and OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 have drawn major concerns over their reportedly unprecedented ability to identify software vulnerabilities – weaknesses in code that hackers can exploit.

The intervention against Anthropic was striking for a White House that has otherwise pushed to loosen AI oversight – even moving to block states from writing their own rules.

Under pressure over the novel capabilities of Mythos, Trump earlier this month signed an executive order setting up a voluntary federal review of national security risks in advanced AI models before their release.