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Anthropic Pitches $1 Claude AI Deal to U.S. Government in Bid for Federal Adoption

 |  August 12, 2025

Amazon.com-backed Anthropic announced Tuesday that it will provide its Claude AI model to the U.S. government for just $1, per Reuters, joining a growing number of artificial intelligence firms seeking to secure federal contracts through heavily discounted offers.

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    The move comes only days after Anthropic’s Claude, along with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, was approved for inclusion on the government’s list of authorized AI vendors, according to Reuters. The company said its Claude for government product can be used by federal employees for sensitive but unclassified work.

    Rival OpenAI recently made a similar proposal, offering its ChatGPT Enterprise service to U.S. federal agencies for $1 per agency for the next year. Google, meanwhile, is in discussions with the government to extend comparable pricing for its Gemini chatbot, Reuters reported, though the company has not yet publicly commented.

    Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, which manages procurement for U.S. agencies, said the cost reduction is expected to accelerate AI adoption in government. “The price is going to help uptake from agencies happen that much quicker,” he noted.

    Read more: Technology and Consumer Groups Line Up Behind Anthropic in Class Action Copyright Case

    Industry analysts say such offers may also serve a broader purpose. Per Reuters, the deals could help AI companies strengthen relationships with lawmakers and regulators at a time when Washington is considering new frameworks to govern the use of artificial intelligence. By placing their products directly in the hands of federal workers, companies like Anthropic and OpenAI may gain both practical feedback and political goodwill as regulatory debates continue.

    Under the arrangement, the three branches of the federal government maintain their independent procurement processes, meaning no agency is required to use Claude. The one-year deals offered by Anthropic and OpenAI underscore an intensifying competition among major AI developers to secure a foothold in Washington, while also strengthening relationships with policymakers and regulators.

    Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said, “America’s AI leadership requires that our government institutions have access to the most capable, secure AI tools available.” He added that expanding access to Claude across all branches of government will help the federal workforce harness advanced AI capabilities.

    Source: Reuters