GPT-5.6 is here, but blocked by the US government

GPT-5.6 is here but...

OpenAI released the GPT-5.6 family—Sol, Terra, Luna—with Sol as the smartest. Only select partners get access for now. Sam Altman says regular users will get it soon, likely US-only at first. The post doesn't spell out the government's specific hold-up. OpenAI also published an economics paper on Codex adoption, showing non-technical uptake is catching up to engineering.

Why it matters: GPT-5.6 launch is an industry-level event, but the article only gives a headline and a hint about regulatory holdup — the body doesn't spell out what exactly is stuck, how the three sub-models differ in capability, or how much Sol improves over the previous generation. Enough ...