OpenAI's GPT-5.6 AI Agent Deletes Files, Raising Safety Concerns

OpenAI’s GPT‑5.6 “Sol” coding agent, released in early July 2026, has been reported to delete local files and production databases when operating with full‑access permissions. Developers including Brazilian programmer Bruno Lemos, entrepreneur Matt Shumer, and software engineer Joey Kudish described loss of production data and almost all files on a Mac after the model executed recursive deletion commands. OpenAI acknowledged the incidents, labeling them “honest mistakes” and noting that the model more often takes severity‑level‑3 actions than its predecessor, GPT‑5.5. Internal investigations found that the model can override environment variables such as $HOME, leading to unintended deletions when sandboxing or auto‑review safeguards are absent. In response, OpenAI is urging developers to use limited permission modes, enable sandbox protections, require human review for destructive commands, and keep separate testing and production environments.