OpenAI will publicly release its GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna models today, ending government-imposed access restrictions that lasted two weeks.

The company had previously limited the ChatGPT-5.6 series models to select organizations whose participation was known to the U.S. government. The restriction came amid broader tensions over AI model releases and national security considerations.

CEO Sam Altman is scheduled to appear on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" at 10 a.m. ET to discuss the release. The timing coincides with ongoing market volatility driven by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Market context amid Iran conflict

The announcement comes as technology stocks showed resilience yesterday despite broader market declines. The Nasdaq Composite bucked the downtrend while the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1% on renewed U.S. strikes against Iranian military targets.

President Trump's comments about potential deals with Iran continue to create uncertainty. U.S. Central Command said Wednesday's strikes hit roughly 90 Iranian military targets, with Trump later claiming Tehran called to negotiate following the attacks.

Oil prices jumped after the resumption of strikes and remain elevated this morning. Energy price volatility was a key topic at the Federal Reserve's June meeting, where officials showed division on the path for interest rates according to minutes released yesterday.

The GPT-5.6 models represent OpenAI's latest advancement in large language model capabilities. The company has not disclosed specific performance benchmarks or pricing details for the newly released variants.

OpenAI's decision to lift restrictions suggests the government's initial concerns about the models' capabilities or potential misuse have been addressed through undisclosed measures.