OpenAI Launches Sol, Terra and Luna AI Models, Limits Rollout Following US Government Request
OpenAI has unveiled three new artificial intelligence models named Sol, Terra and Luna, but the company is not rolling them out to users worldwide immediately. Instead, the models are being released in a limited preview to a small group of trusted partners after a request from the US government for an early safety review.
OpenAI has unveiled three new artificial intelligence models named Sol, Terra and Luna, but the company is not rolling them out to users worldwide immediately. Instead, the models are being released in a limited preview to a small group of trusted partners after a request from the US government for an early safety review.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the new models in a post on X, describing them as a major step forward in both AI capabilities and pricing efficiency. However, he confirmed that broader public access has been delayed due to regulatory requirements tied to evaluating advanced AI systems before their wider release.
According to OpenAI, Sol is its most capable and efficient model yet. It is priced similarly to GPT-5.5 while offering improved performance across several tasks, including coding, biology and cybersecurity. The company said Sol is particularly effective at identifying and helping fix software security issues while remaining within OpenAI's internal safety limits. OpenAI GPT-5.6 Models Unveiled With Advanced Reasoning and Safety Features.
The company also introduced Terra, which is part of the GPT-5.6 family. OpenAI said Terra delivers performance comparable to GPT-5.5 but at roughly half the cost, making it a more affordable option for developers and enterprises. The third model, Luna, joins the same GPT-5.6 lineup, with the company positioning all three models as its next generation of AI systems focused on better performance and lower operating costs.
Explaining the limited rollout, OpenAI said it had shared information about the models with US authorities before launch as part of an early evaluation process. The company added that while it supports wider public access, it does not believe government review before every release should become the long-term standard, as it could delay innovation and access for developers, businesses and security researchers. ChatGPT 5.6 Rollout: OpenAI To Launch Next-Gen AI Model Under New Federal Oversight and Security Review.
Altman also responded to users asking about a global launch, saying the company was "working hard for worldwide" availability.
OpenAI said it expects Sol, Terra and Luna to become available to more users in the coming weeks, although it has not announced an exact launch date or disclosed which partners currently have access.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 28, 2026 08:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
