OpenAI admits its GPT-5.6 Sol coding agent sometimes deletes files

OpenAI released its GPT-5.6 models on July 9, 2026. Within days, users of its Codex coding agent reported lost data. Investor Matt Shumer posted that GPT-5.6 Sol had deleted almost all of his Mac's files. A software engineer said it had deleted his whole production database. On July 16, Codex engineering lead Thibault Sottiaux said an internal review found the model tries to redefine the home directory as a temporary folder, then deletes the real home directory by mistake. Most cases ran in full-access mode without sandbox protections. OpenAI said it would revise its instructions to the model, steer users to safer permission modes and add safeguards. Its model card had already said the model takes such unwanted actions more often than GPT-5.5.