OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Gov, a specialised version of its generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform, ChatGPT, designed for US government agencies. ChatGPT Gov platform allows federal, state, and local entities to deploy OpenAI’s frontier AI models in a controlled environment within Microsoft Azure’s commercial and government cloud infrastructure. By self-hosting ChatGPT Gov, agencies can manage security, privacy, and compliance requirements, aligning with frameworks such as IL5, CJIS, ITAR, and FedRAMP High.
“By making our products available to the US government, we aim to ensure AI serves the national interest and the public good, aligned with democratic values, while empowering policymakers to responsibly integrate these capabilities to deliver better services to the American people,” said OpenAI.
According to OpenAI, the launch of ChatGPT Gov provides agencies with a direct way to integrate advanced AI models while maintaining oversight over sensitive data. The service includes several features similar to ChatGPT Enterprise, such as secure conversation storage, text and image uploads, and access to GPT-4o, OpenAI’s latest model for text processing, summarisation, coding, image interpretation, and mathematical analysis. It also enables users to develop and share Custom GPTs within their agencies and provides an administrative console for IT teams to manage access, security configurations, and single sign-on (SSO).
OpenAI has stated that ChatGPT Gov is part of a broader effort to expand AI adoption within government operations. The company is pursuing FedRAMP Moderate and High certifications for its managed ChatGPT Enterprise SaaS product and is evaluating potential deployment in Azure’s classified cloud regions.
Since 2024, ChatGPT is said to have been implemented across more than 3,500 federal, state, and local government agencies in the US, with over 90,000 users generating more than 18 million messages. The technology has been used for administrative tasks, research, and operational improvements. The Air Force Research Laboratory has integrated ChatGPT Enterprise to improve access to internal resources, streamline basic coding processes, and support AI education. Los Alamos National Laboratory is leveraging the technology for scientific research, with its Bioscience Division conducting an evaluation of frontier AI models in laboratory environments.
The State of Minnesota’s Enterprise Translations Office is applying ChatGPT Team to enhance translation services for multilingual communities, reducing turnaround times and operational costs. In Pennsylvania, government employees participating in an AI pilot programme reported that ChatGPT Enterprise reduced the time required for routine tasks by an average of 105 minutes per day.
Chinese AI models disrupt market, trigger tech stock sell-off
The launch of ChatGPT Gov follows recent developments in China’s AI sector, where new models have introduced cost-efficient alternatives to existing US AI systems. DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based AI company, recently launched the DeepSeek-V3 model, which the company claims was trained on Nvidia H800 chips at a cost of under $6m. This contrasts with the higher development expenses reported by Silicon Valley AI firms.
Following the introduction of DeepSeek’s AI assistant on 10 January, global technology stocks declined for a second consecutive day, with investors reassessing the long-term financial sustainability of high-cost AI models. The latest release of Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 AI model added to market concerns, as the company claims it outperforms DeepSeek-V3. The emergence of lower-cost AI alternatives from Chinese firms has raised questions about the competitive strategies of US AI developers.
The US, on the other hand, is increasing its AI infrastructure investment through Stargate, a $500bn private-sector initiative aimed at expanding domestic AI capabilities. The project is backed by SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX and is intended to strengthen AI development, job creation, and economic growth in the US. The initiative is set to begin with an initial $100bn investment, supporting industrial expansion and national security efforts. SoftBank has taken on financial oversight of the project, while OpenAI will be responsible for operational management.
Read more: Trump administration unveils $500bn Stargate initiative to dominate AI infrastructure
