OpenAI GPT-5.6 and GPT-6 Astra models available in Snowflake Cortex AI

Snowflake has released new OpenAI models in the Cortex REST API and Cortex Inference. The models openai-gpt-5.6-luna, openai-gpt-5.6-sol, openai-gpt-5.6-terra, and openai-gpt-6-astra are now generally available (GA), while openai-gpt-6-sol and openai-gpt-6-luna enter Public Preview. All of them support cross-region inference.### Use cases Imagine you need to integrate advanced OpenAI LLMs directly into your applications while keeping your data secured within the Snowflake perimeter. You can use standard OpenAI SDKs pointing to the Cortex endpoint to build chatbots, summarize text, and process unstructured data.

• Run chat completion calls using the OpenAI-compatible API.
• Monitor token consumption through account usage views.
• Configure cross-region inference.

How to use

Authentication is done via a Snowflake Programmatic Access Token (PAT) and the official OpenAI SDK pointing to your account identifier base URL.

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
  api_key="<SNOWFLAKE_PAT>",
  base_url="https://<account-identifier>.snowflakecomputing.com/api/v2/cortex/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
  model="openai-gpt-6-astra",
  messages=[
    {"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful assistant."},
    {"role": "user", "content": "What is new in AI?"}
  ]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

What happens in this code:

1. Instantiates the OpenAI client by defining the Snowflake PAT access key and the Cortex REST API base URL.
2. Sends a chat completions request using the specified model, such as openai-gpt-6-astra.
3. Prints the content of the response generated by the model to the console.

Limitations and requirements

• Models openai-gpt-5.6-luna, openai-gpt-5.6-sol, openai-gpt-5.6-terra, and openai-gpt-6-astra are GA.
• Models openai-gpt-6-sol and openai-gpt-6-luna are in Public Preview.
• Support cross-region inference with CORTEX_ENABLED_CROSS_REGION set to AWS_US, AWS_GLOBAL, or ANY_REGION.
• The executing user role must have either the SNOWFLAKE.CORTEX_USER or SNOWFLAKE.CORTEX_REST_API_USER database role granted.