OpenAI is Providing ChatGPT to the Government for Free

OpenAI is poised to surpass rivals such as Anthropic and Google in the effort to integrate its AI solutions within federal agency functions.

The AI frontrunner has sealed a contract with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s main procurement agency, allowing ChatGPT Enterprise to be offered to participating federal agencies for just $1 per agency over the next year.

This partnership comes in light of the GSA’s recent announcement, which included OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic in a list of authorized AI vendors approved to provide services to civilian federal agencies. Their technologies will be accessible through the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), a federal contracting platform designed to facilitate access to AI solutions via established contracts, negating the need for individual negotiations with suppliers.

It is still unclear if other AI firms will match this low pricing. GSA Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum urged “other American AI technology companies to follow OpenAI’s lead and collaborate with us.”

TechCrunch has reached out to Anthropic and Google for additional insights.

Besides providing access to ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI is also offering unlimited use of advanced models for an additional 60 days. Federal employees will also be able to join a new government user community and access tailored introductory training materials to help them get acquainted with OpenAI’s tools.

Data security is a top priority for government agencies that are wary of potential leaks of sensitive information during model training. TechCrunch has inquired with the GSA about the protections in place to secure government data, including whether on-premises or private cloud solutions are being utilized to boost security.

“The government is taking a careful, security-centric approach to AI,” a GSA spokesperson remarked to TechCrunch. “This ensures that sensitive data remains protected while enabling agencies to harness AI-driven efficiencies.”

OpenAI’s pricing initiative comes shortly after the Trump administration introduced its AI Action Plan, which seeks to bolster data center development and implement more AI technologies within the government, among other goals. This follows a Trump executive order banning “woke AI” and AI frameworks that lack “ideological neutrality” from government contracts.

TechCrunch has contacted OpenAI for further clarification regarding its collaboration with the GSA and its perspective on Trump’s executive order.