Anthropic Follows OpenAI With $1 Claude AI Deal for US Government
Anthropic has announced it will provide its Claude AI model to all three branches of the US government for just $1, mirroring a similar deal offered by OpenAI last week. This move comes after the General Services Administration added OpenAI, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic to its approved list of AI vendors for federal agencies.
Under the agreement, Anthropic will grant access to its commercial-tier Claude for Enterprise for one year at the nominal $1 fee. The deal also includes Claude for Government, which supports FedRAMP High workloads, enabling federal employees to use the AI for sensitive but unclassified tasks. Government leaders can request access immediately.
Anthropic already has experience working with federal agencies. Earlier this summer, the Department of Defense awarded contracts worth up to $200 million to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI for military AI applications.
The announcement did not address the Trump administration’s AI Action Plan, which requires large language models used by the government to be free from ideological bias. The plan explicitly states that AI must not favor political viewpoints or ideologies like DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). While Anthropic did not comment on compliance, the expectation is that its models will align with these guidelines.
This deal reflects a broader trend of AI companies strengthening ties with policymakers. NVIDIA recently agreed to share revenue with the US government to continue selling AI chips to China. The current administration has been vocal about its push for federal agencies to adopt AI solutions, signaling a growing reliance on the technology in government operations.
As AI firms compete for federal contracts, these low-cost deals serve as a strategic entry point, positioning companies like Anthropic and OpenAI as key players in the government’s AI adoption plans.
