Juliet Oladele, Reporting
ChatGPT maker OpenAI has confirmed that its latest artificial intelligence model series, GPT-5.6, will be made available to the public on Thursday, 9 July 2026, following reported approval from the Trump administration to lift earlier restrictions on its wider deployment.
The company announced the move via a post on X on Tuesday, stating: “GPT-5.6 Sol, along with Terra and Luna, will launch publicly this Thursday. We’re expanding preview access globally now.” The three-tiered offering comprises Sol – the new flagship model – alongside Terra, a mid-range version for everyday work, and Luna, a fast, low-cost alternative.
The release comes after weeks of behind‑the‑scenes negotiations with Washington. In late June, OpenAI had granted preview access to a limited group of trusted US‑based partners at the government’s request, amid concerns that the new models possessed an unprecedented ability to identify vulnerabilities in code – a capability that security experts warned could be exploited by malicious actors.
US news outlet Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the matter, that the White House had given OpenAI the green light for a broad launch following technical testing and meetings between company officials and government representatives. OpenAI, the White House and the Department of Commerce have not yet commented publicly on the Axios report.
The development mirrors a similar situation at OpenAI’s archrival, Anthropic – the startup behind the Claude chatbot. Last week, Anthropic said it would begin restoring access to its most powerful AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after Washington lifted a restriction on their release.
The Trump administration, which initially sought to minimise regulatory hurdles in the hope of outpacing China in the AI race, is now drawing up criteria for which models would fall under new security restrictions, in accordance with a recent executive order from the White House.
OpenAI had previously expressed reservations about the government’s intervention. In a statement issued in June, the company said: “We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default” as it “keeps the best tools” from users, businesses and others who need them. Nevertheless, it added that it was working with Washington “to develop the cyber Executive Order framework and a repeatable process for future model releases”.
On the commercial front, OpenAI has indicated that Terra will be priced at half the cost of its predecessor, GPT‑5.5, as it seeks to lock in customers amidst fierce competition from Anthropic and Google. Both OpenAI and Anthropic have filed confidential IPO documents with US regulators and are targeting public listings at valuations approaching $1 trillion, underscoring the high financial stakes of the AI arms race.
