June 26, 2026, (Inside AI) — OpenAI plans a limited rollout of ChatGPT 5.6, with early access restricted to US government-approved customers, according to an internal memo reported by The Information. CEO Sam Altman told employees that federal authorities will approve access “customer by customer” during an initial preview, with a wider release expected weeks later.
The move follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, encouraging AI companies to submit advanced models for voluntary federal review before public launch. The order aims to develop a standard framework for assessing powerful AI systems.
Altman reportedly acknowledged the arrangement is not a long-term solution, stating the company will work with officials and industry partners to establish a more sustainable process for future releases. The exact timeline for ChatGPT 5.6 remains unannounced.
Federal agencies shape approval mechanism
The Office of the National Cyber Director, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the Department of Commerce are involved in shaping the review process, The Information reported. Government officials have not publicly commented on the mechanism.
The rollout comes after rival Anthropic suspended access to two models following a federal directive restricting availability to foreign nationals over security concerns. These actions raise questions about how voluntary the review process will be in practice.
While the executive order describes reviews as voluntary, recent events suggest federal oversight of advanced AI models may become more active before public deployment. If implemented, the ChatGPT 5.6 preview would mark one of the first major AI launches controlled through a government-supervised process.
