Commerce Department Clears OpenAI for Broad GPT 5.6 Launch

According to Axios, the U.S. Department of Commerce has approved OpenAI for a broad launch of its advanced GPT 5.6 model, a source familiar with the situation said Tuesday. OpenAI expects to release GPT 5.6 widely this week after additional testing and meetings with government officials; the testing was conducted by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation within the Commerce Department, with OpenAI technical experts remaining in Washington, D.C., to address questions. Axios noted OpenAI last month was limited to a staggered rollout of GPT 5.6 to government-approved entities, similar to restrictions placed on Anthropic for its Mythos and Fable models.