The Trump administration is positioning itself to influence the rollout of advanced artificial intelligence, with plans for the government to approve which companies gain access to OpenAI's forthcoming GPT-5.6 Sol model. OpenAI announced the upcoming release of several new AI models, including GPT-5.6 Sol, described as its most powerful to date.
This development follows a recent action by the Trump administration in early June, where it effectively banned Anthropic's new "frontier" AI model shortly after its release. The Anthropic model, initially known as "Mythos" and later publicly available in a limited version called "Fable," was reported to potentially have a significant security flaw. However, speculation suggests this ban could also be linked to animosity towards Anthropic.
While there is a recognized argument for increased federal government involvement in AI regulation, particularly concerning powerful and potentially hazardous "frontier" models, the administration's approach is characterized as unconventional. Critics note the absence of a clear process or universally applied standards, suggesting the administration is establishing control on an ad hoc basis. This strategy grants the government considerable leverage over both AI developers and the businesses seeking to utilize these advanced tools.