OpenAI has implemented the next phase of changes to its self-serve fine-tuning platform. Effective July 2, 2026, organizations that have not run inference on a fine-tuned model in the past 60 days will no longer be able to create new fine-tuning jobs.
The update follows the May 7, 2026 notification that first limited access. On that date, creating fine-tuning jobs or training became unavailable to organizations that had never previously run fine-tuning. The July 2 restriction tightens eligibility further by requiring recent inference activity on fine-tuned models.
Key Timeline from OpenAI Deprecations Page
May 7, 2026: Creating fine-tuning jobs or training unavailable to organizations without prior fine-tuning history.
July 2, 2026: Creating fine-tuning jobs no longer available to organizations without inference on a fine-tuned model in the past 60 days.
January 6, 2027: Active existing customers lose the ability to create new fine-tuning jobs. Inference on fine-tuned models remains available until the underlying base model is deprecated.
Inference on existing fine-tuned models continues without interruption until the specific base models themselves reach end-of-life. OpenAI states that impacted customers receive email notifications and documentation updates for these changes.
The restrictions apply specifically to OpenAI’s self-serve fine-tuning offering. Organizations relying on custom models for proprietary workflows, specialized performance, or competitive differentiation now face stricter ongoing activity requirements to maintain creation access.
High-intent users—particularly AI-forward businesses and technical teams—should verify their recent inference activity against the 60-day window ahead of the July 2 cutoff. Existing fine-tuned models and their inference capabilities remain supported through base model deprecation timelines.
This phased approach gives advance notice while gradually narrowing self-serve fine-tuning availability. Full details and the complete deprecation schedule are available on OpenAI’s official API Deprecations page.