OpenAI unveiled GPT-5.6 at the end of June, but the public release was held back while the U.S. government reviewed the new AI models. Now the company has shared an update on when customers will be able to use the upgraded model: this week.
GPT-5.6 is coming on Thursday #
To recap, OpenAI announced three versions of GPT-5.6:
- Sol, OpenAI’s flagship model
- Terra, their balanced model for everyday work
- Luna, their fast and affordable model
The Sol, Terra, and Luna naming scheme is also new with GPT-5.6.
“In this new naming system introduced with GPT‑5.6, the number identifies a model’s generation, while Sol, Terra, and Luna identify durable capability tiers that can advance on their own cadence,” OpenAI said in June. “Together, the family gives people and developers clearer choices across intelligence, speed, and cost.”
OpenAI also said it would only share access to GPT-5.6 models with a small group of trusted partners at the U.S. government’s request. This marked a shift from OpenAI’s previous announcement and release behavior.
Now OpenAI has confirmed that GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna will become available Thursday, July 9. OpenAI also said it was “expanding preview access globally now” in a social media post on Tuesday night.
It’s unclear if tomorrow’s GPT-5.6 release will be limited to users in the United States or globally available. OpenAI’s Sam Altman said last month that the company was working toward a global release.
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