Anthropic and OpenAI Test Next AI Models
Neither Fable 5.5 nor GPT-6.2 Astra has been announced or benchmarked, so both remain unconfirmed research-stage reports.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Anthropic is reportedly testing a model called Fable 5.5, and OpenAI is reportedly preparing a GPT-6.2 Astra model, though neither is confirmed or available. A catalog entry for Fable 5.5 surfaced on October 13, 2026 and was removed the next day, and a reference to "2-astra" appeared in Codex usage data for some accounts on November 1, 2026. Both remain research-stage rumors with no independent benchmarks.
Why it matters
The reported releases follow Anthropic's Fable 5 launch on June 9, 2026 and OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra release on September 3, 2026, placing both companies in a rapid cadence of frontier model updates. The timing also coincides with Anthropic's Nasdaq listing process, where public filings are putting its finances under scrutiny.
The only figures available are GPT-6 Astra's $10/$50 per million token API pricing and Anthropic's $17.0 billion third-quarter revenue against $96 billion in cash. No performance benchmarks exist for Fable 5.5 or GPT-6.2 Astra, so no capability comparison can be made.
The players
Anthropic
An AI safety-focused lab that builds the Fable model family and is preparing a Nasdaq listing.
OpenAI
The maker of ChatGPT, Codex and the GPT-6 family, which released GPT-6 Astra in September 2026.
The details
The evidence comes from two indirect signals: a catalog entry that appeared and was pulled within a day, and a string referencing "2-astra" in Codex usage data, which is the telemetry tied to OpenAI's coding tool. A catalog entry is a listing a model provider publishes to indicate available models, so its brief appearance suggests a model was staged but not finalized. Usage-data strings can reveal internal model identifiers before any announcement, but they do not confirm a product.
Timeline
Anthropic launched Fable 5 on June 9, 2026.
OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra on September 3, 2026.
A Fable 5.5 catalog entry surfaced on October 13, 2026 and was removed by October 14, 2026.
Anthropic amended its S-1 filing on October 26, 2026 and November 2, 2026.
A "2-astra" reference appeared in Codex usage data on November 1, 2026.
The Tech Race
Anthropic's Fable 5 launched on June 9, 2026, and OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra followed on September 3, 2026, making the two labs' flagship model lines a direct head-to-head contest. Reports of Fable 5.5 and GPT-6.2 Astra suggest both companies are moving to point-release cadences of roughly a few months.
No release date, pricing, or access path has been announced for Fable 5.5 or GPT-6.2 Astra, so users cannot plan around either model yet. The only current pricing that affects developers is GPT-6 Astra's $10/$50 per million token API rate.
The takeaway
Watch whether Anthropic's roadshow, which cannot begin before November 10, 2026, brings official confirmation of Fable 5.5. Track whether any GPT-6.2 Astra benchmark or price appears, since pricing would show whether OpenAI is competing on cost, capability or both.
What happens next
Anthropic's roadshow for its Nasdaq listing cannot begin before November 10, 2026, which is the next dated milestone that could bring further company disclosures.
Further reading
For background on the competing model lines, see the Artificial Intelligence section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Crypto Briefing.
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