OpenAI has officially released its latest artificial intelligence model, ChatGPT 5.6, following a period of restricted access mandated by White House cybersecurity concerns. The release comes after the company complied with a government request last month to brief officials on the model’s capabilities and limit its initial availability to a select group of trusted partners.
According to reports from Axios, the broader public rollout of the model was permitted only after the government’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation agency conducted additional testing on the software. The new release features a flagship product dubbed Sol, which OpenAI claims is its most capable and secure model to date. This launch serves as a direct response to rival company Anthropic, which recently released its own Claude Fable and Mythos models following similar government-imposed restrictions.
The competition between OpenAI and Anthropic has intensified as both firms vie for dominance in the artificial intelligence sector ahead of their respective initial public offerings, which are expected later this year. Anthropic recently secured a new round of funding in May, reaching a valuation of $965 billion and becoming the world’s most valuable AI company. Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly pursuing a $1 trillion valuation for its own IPO. However, the New York Times has indicated that OpenAI’s market debut could be pushed to next year due to ongoing volatility within the global technology market.
