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The White House is asking OpenAI to slow roll the release of its new model over safety concerns

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1 hour ago

June 26, 2026

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OpenAI’s release of its newest model, GPT 5.6, reportedly won’t be like its previous releases. Instead of distributing it to the public, the company plans to share it only with a select group of close partners because the Trump administration told it to, reports The Information.

At a meeting this week, CEO Sam Altman reportedly told staff that the government would be “approving access customer by customer” during a preview period. Altman reportedly added that if the limited release goes well, OpenAI hopes to follow with a general, broader release a “couple of weeks later.”

In other words, the Trump administration appears to be pressuring OpenAI to do what Anthropic is already voluntarily doing: keeping its most powerful AI models under wraps.

According to The Information, OpenAI’s new model is not only being reviewed by the administration, but its staffers also “worked closely” with the government on the upcoming release. The agencies that reportedly asked for a limited release were the Oﬃce of the National Cyber Director and the Oﬃce of Science and Technology Policy.

The Trump administration — which originally positioned itself as taking a “hands off” approach to AI — has in recent months pushed for federal oversight of new models. Earlier this month, Trump signed an executive order directing certain AI companies to voluntarily submit new models to the government for testing and evaluation before releasing them publicly.

Earlier this year, Anthropic sparked no small amount of controversy when it announced that its new frontier cyber model, Claude Mythos, would only be released to a small coterie of partners through a program called Project Glasswing. Anthropic argued that its model was simply too powerful and could, in the wrong hands, cause more harm than good. Observers have since debated whether Anthropic’s rhetoric is a mere marketing gimmick or a legitimate attempt to keep a powerful model from being misused. The answer may be somewhere in between.

Cybercriminals have used automated tools for a very long time, but in the age of generative AI, they now have more digital ammunition than ever before. LLMs have proven adept at writing malware, and some can even execute entire ransomware attacks autonomously.

The specific concern with frontier cyber tools like Mythos is that they are ostensibly capable of both identifying and exploiting software vulnerabilities at speeds that no human analyst could match. Since many software systems contain hidden bugs that act as entry points into enterprise networks, this obviously poses an obvious and significant problem for any organization running complex software infrastructure. That said, since these models remain closed to the public, it’s difficult to tell just how much of a threat they really are.

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Related Topics:Concerns House model OpenAI Release roll Safety slow White

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NWFL Championship Return to Calabar, Kick Set for July Kick Off

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9 minutes ago

June 26, 2026

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The Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Championship will return to Calabar, Cross River State, for the 2026 edition, two years after the city hosted the second-tier competition in 2024.

In a statement on Thursday, the NWFL spokesperson, Samuel Ahmadu, confirmed this year’s Championship will hold from July 9 to 16, 2026, with 16 participating clubs set to battle for promotion to the NWFL Premiership.

The return of Calabar continues the city’s role in hosting major women’s football events, providing the platform for another competitive promotion race as clubs compete for a place among Nigeria’s elite women’s football teams.

Commenting on the development, NWFL Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Modupe Shabi, opened up on the schedule for second tier, with participating clubs, expected to arrive on Thursday, July 9, 2026, ahead of the commencement of activities.

Before then, Shabi also revealed that teams will be divided into four groups following a draw conducted on Monday, June 29, 2026, with full group details and access information communicated to the clubs.

The tournament schedule will begin with the pre-match meeting scheduled for Friday, July 10, before the competition officially kicks off on Saturday, July 11, with Matchday 1 featuring eight matches across two venues.

Following a rest day on Sunday, July 12, teams will return for Matchday 2 on Monday, July 13, with another eight fixtures across two venues.

The group stage will conclude with Matchday 3 on Tuesday, July 14, before another rest day on Wednesday, July 15, ahead of the decisive Matchday 4 play-off fixtures on Thursday, July 16.

At the end of the competition, the two best-performing teams will earn promotion to the NWFL Premiership, while the three lowest-ranked teams will drop to the NWFL Nationwide division.

The NWFL management has urged all participating clubs to strictly adhere to the competition regulations, schedules and directives as preparations continue for the 2026 NWFL Championship.

Business

NITDA, Meta partner to strengthen youth online safety

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1 hour ago

June 26, 2026

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with Meta to promote responsible digital citizenship and protect young Nigerians online.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed the partnership at the Youth Safety Summit organised by Meta on Thursday.

At the summit, held in Abuja, Meta, in partnership with NITDA and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, also launched the Youth Online Safety Campaign and My Digital World 2.0.

The stakeholders at the summit, including government officials, civil society organisations, educators, and industry leaders, deliberated on strategies to create a safer digital environment for young people.

Represented by Ahmed Tambuwal, acting director of NITDA’s Digital Literacy and Capacity Building Department, Mr Inuwa said the agency remained committed to ensuring that young people enjoy safe, positive, and age-appropriate online experiences.

He noted that NITDA’s ongoing nationwide digital literacy programmes would receive a significant boost through its collaboration with Meta, particularly in advancing online safety education among young Nigerians.

READ ALSO: NITDA enters pact with DAWN Commission to accelerate digital literacy in Southwest

According to him, the partnership seeks to integrate online safety education into the school system, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and values required to use digital technologies safely, responsibly, and productively.

Stakeholders at the event emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among government agencies, technology companies, educators, and civil society groups to address emerging online risks and promote digital well-being among young people.

The initiatives are expected to enhance digital literacy, strengthen online safety awareness, and support efforts to create a more secure and inclusive digital ecosystem for Nigerian youths.