DataFunTalk

May 14, 2026 · Industry Insights

OpenAI’s Rapid Sprint: GPT‑5.6 Leaked and a $400 Subsidy to Oust Claude Code

Within three weeks of GPT‑5.5’s launch, internal code for GPT‑5.6 surfaced, prompting OpenAI to unveil a 2‑3× “ultrafast” mode and a two‑month free Codex offer worth $400 to lure Claude Code users, sparking a high‑speed AI competition with Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 Fast and highlighting a self‑reinforcing acceleration loop toward ASI.