US authorities are getting decidedly twitchy about frontier AI models. Just a couple of weeks after ordering Anthropic to prevent foreign companies from getting hold of its latest release, Mythos/Fable 5, it’s been putting the squeeze on another AI company..

Now, the Trump administration is asking OpenAI to hold back on the general release of GPT-5.6, according to a report from Bloomberg.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly told employees that the government is asking that the model be released only to a short list of trusted partners, initially 20, before being more widely disseminated.

Altman reportedly told staffers that the administration was getting nervous about the capabilities of the latest AI tools. It didn’t go as far as forbidding access to foreign users but it’s clear that the White House is looking to act as the power of the new models becomes more apparent.

The administration’s actions will undoubtedly cause some anxiety among AI companies, particularly in light of OpenAI’s and Anthropic’s upcoming IPOs. There will be concerns that new software developments could be postponed or even halted. However, it should also be noted that the administration was already displeased with Anthropic over its moral stance on defense issues, so the action against Mythos should be placed in context.

Indeed, the government is trying to play down such fears. Bloomberg quoted a White House official as saying that the Trump administration continues to collaborate with frontier AI labs to develop shared approaches for addressing the challenges of scaling the technology.