Both OpenAI and Anthropic say the AI race needs to slow down yet both companies released newer models on the exact same day. Anthropic released Claude Opus 5.5, while OpenAI released GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna on September 22. Anthropic says Opus 5.5 delivers performance close to its more powerful Claude Fable 5.1 model while costing about 40% less to run than Opus 5. The model is designed for coding, computer use and long professional tasks that require the AI to work independently. OpenAI expanded the GPT-6 family with two cheaper models. GPT-6 Sol is built for difficult coding, research and computer-use tasks, while GPT-6 Luna is designed for faster and cheaper work at scale. OpenAI priced both models 50% below their GPT-5.6 equivalents, making GPT-6 more practical for businesses running millions of AI tasks.9to5mac The same day releases show how intense the competition has become. Both companies may genuinely want more time for safety testing, but neither company wants to give the other one a major advantage. If Anthropic slows down while OpenAI continues releasing models, OpenAI can win more developers and enterprise customers. If OpenAI slows down while Anthropic keeps moving, Anthropic can do the same. This creates a race in which both companies want everyone to slow down but neither company wants to slow down first.