Why GPT-5.6 is delayed while Anthropic faces bans
openai delays gpt-5.6 to a limited preview after a request from the trump administration, which will approve access case-by-case.
citing security concerns, the trump administration requested openai stagger the release of gpt-5.6, resulting in a limited preview where the government will approve customer access on a case-by-case basis. this strategy appears more lenient than the export control directive recently applied to anthropic, which barred 'foreign nationals'—including some of the company's own employees—from accessing its models. the uneven application of regulation contradicts the administration's previous 'speed wins' rhetoric and introduces significant friction for ai deployment in enterprise settings.