OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Gov For U.S. Government Agencies

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Gov, a specialized version of its AI technology tailored to meet the specific needs of U.S. government agencies.

The new offering is designed to provide federal, state, and local agencies with a secure and compliant way to access OpenAI’s advanced models, including GPT-4o, for a variety of applications.

Reuters noted that the launch occurred just hours after CEO Sam Altman announced in a post on X that the company would “pull up some releases.” This marked his first public statement following the low-cost Chinese AI startup DeepSeek‘s shake-up of AI-linked stocks on Monday.

deepseek’s r1 is an impressive model, particularly around what they’re able to deliver for the price.

we will obviously deliver much better models and also it’s legit invigorating to have a new competitor! we will pull up some releases.

— Sam Altman (@sama) January 28, 2025

ChatGPT Gov can be deployed within an agency’s existing Microsoft Azure commercial cloud or Azure Government cloud infrastructure, using Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service.

This self-hosted approach allows agencies to maintain control over their security, privacy, and compliance requirements, including adherence to stringent cybersecurity frameworks such as IL5, CJIS, ITAR, and FedRAMP High.

By hosting the service internally, agencies can also streamline the authorization process for handling sensitive or non-public data.

The platform provides features similar to ChatGPT Enterprise, allowing users to save and share conversations within a secure workspace, upload text and image files, and access GPT-4o, OpenAI’s most advanced model. GPT-4o can perform tasks like text interpretation, summarization, coding, image analysis, and solving mathematical problems.

Additionally, employees can create and share custom GPTs tailored to their agency’s needs, while IT administrators can manage users, groups, and single sign-on (SSO) through an administrative console.

Since early 2024, OpenAI’s tools have been adopted by over 90,000 users across more than 3,500 federal, state, and local government agencies, with over 18 million messages sent to support various tasks.

For instance, the Air Force Research Laboratory has used ChatGPT Enterprise for administrative tasks, coding assistance, and AI education initiatives. Los Alamos National Laboratory is exploring its potential for scientific research, including bioscientific innovation.

The State of Minnesota has employed ChatGPT Team to improve translation services for multilingual communities, while Pennsylvania has reported significant time savings in routine tasks through its AI pilot program.

CNBC reports that government use of artificial intelligence has long faced significant scrutiny due to its potential harm to vulnerable and minority populations and concerns over data privacy. Police use of AI has resulted in wrongful arrests, and California voters rejected a proposal to replace the state’s bail system with an algorithm over fears it could increase bias.

An OpenAI spokesperson told CNBC the company recognizes the unique considerations for government AI applications, noting in a blog post that its product adheres to specific usage policies.

During a demonstration reported by CNBC, OpenAI solutions engineer Aaron Wilkowitz showed how a new Trump administration employee could use ChatGPT Gov to create a five-week job plan and analyze an annotated printout of the plan.

He also demonstrated how the platform could draft a memo summarizing the AI-generated tasks for the legal and compliance team and translate the memo into multiple languages.

OpenAI said in its announcement that is also working toward FedRAMP Moderate and High accreditations for its fully managed SaaS product, ChatGPT Enterprise, and is considering expanding ChatGPT Gov to Azure’s classified regions.