Government Asks OpenAI to Delay GPT-5.6 Launch and Lifts Curbs on Anthropic Models While EO 14409's Voluntary Pre-Release Framework Is Still Being Designed

Executive Order 14409 does not require the government to see frontier models before release. It directs agencies to “design a voluntary framework with AI developers” under which developers could give the government access to covered frontier models “for a period of up to 30 days before they plan to release such models to other trusted partners,” and it states that nothing in that section authorizes “a mandatory governmental licensing, preclearance, or permitting requirement” for releasing new AI models. The order gave agencies “Within 60 days of the date of this order” to design that framework.

What Reuters reported was a government request: OpenAI delayed GPT-5.6 “at the US government’s request,” and “the US Department of Commerce had approved a broad launch of GPT-5.6, following additional government testing.” Reuters also reported “the US government lifting curbs on Anthropic’s latest Fable and Mythos AI models last week.”

Related entries: 2026-06-02–trump-ai-eo-frontier-model-pre-deployment-access, 2026-06-12–commerce-export-control-order-forces-anthropic-to-suspend-fable-5-mythos-5-worldwide, 2026-07-02–openai-proposes-5-percent-government-equity-stake.