OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the company made several adjustments to GPT-5.6
following collaborative, two-way consultations with senior Trump administration
officials. In the weeks before a full release Altman said OpenAI engaged with
Commerce Secretary Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Bessent. Under government
pressure to stage the rollout, the model was initially available only to select
partners; after OpenAI said it had secured sign-off from US government
leadership, GPT-5.6 was scheduled to open to the public on Thursday. Altman
declined to detail the specific adjustments, saying government teams are testing
the model for potential issues and that a transparent, fair and rapid process is
preferable; he added OpenAI now better understands the process and expects
future model rollouts to run more smoothly.
