OpenAI has restricted access to its new GPT-5.6 Sol model to government-approved customers following a request from the Trump administration, while the administration has authorised controlled distribution of Anthropic's Mythos 5 model to a select group of cybersecurity specialists and infrastructure operators.
Approximately 20 customers have been approved to use OpenAI's Sol model under the arrangement. OpenAI said the testing period is temporary and expects wider availability soon, adding it "don't believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default".
Anthropic removed two models from public availability days after their launch to comply with a Trump directive preventing use by foreign nationals. The company's Fable 5 model has been offline for two weeks.
The restrictions follow an executive order Trump signed in June that allows federal agencies to assess national security threats posed by AI systems for up to 30 days before their public release. David Sacks, co-leader of Trump's technology and science council, said Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei described Mythos as a cyber weapon with advanced cyber capabilities when visiting Washington officials in April.
Anthropic warned earlier this year that Mythos could identify software security weaknesses that malicious hackers might exploit. OpenAI said its Sol model performs better at identifying and repairing vulnerabilities than at executing cyberattacks, though the company noted potential unanticipated risks if the system is combined with other tools.
The Pentagon has designated Anthropic as a national security risk, citing the company's ethical and safety concerns about AI usage in war, and Trump ordered federal agencies to discontinue use of its Claude chatbot. Anthropic has filed a lawsuit in response that remains in federal court.
US Representative Lori Trahan said the administration is making access decisions on a company-by-company basis without established law or oversight. Stanford cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos said "if the administration is honest about wanting the United States to beat China in this race, then this is about the dumbest thing they could possibly do".