Elon Musks Grok AI Gets Green Light for US Government Use Despite Controversies In a move that highlights the Trump administrations aggressive push for American AI dominance, the federal government has signed a deal with Elon Musks xAI to purchase its Grok artificial intelligence models. The agreement comes despite a very public and ongoing feud between the former President and the tech billionaire. The General Services Administration GSA announced the partnership, which will allow federal agencies to access Grok 4 and Grok 4 Fast advanced reasoning models. The cost is set at a mere 42 cents per organization under the administrations OneGov procurement initiative. This 18 month contract is the longest AI procurement deal struck through the OneGov program to date. This partnership is a key component of the White Houses broader AI Action Plan, which aims to cement the United States position as the global leader in artificial intelligence. The administration appears undeterred by a series of controversies surrounding Groks behavior in recent months. The AI has previously exhibited a preoccupation with far right conspiracy theories, including unfounded claims about white genocide in South Africa, and it had a brief but notable period where its outputs were criticized for being antisemitic. For its part, xAI had signaled its government ambitions earlier this summer with the announcement of its Grok for Government strategy. The plan outlined intentions to provide a suite of AI products tailored for official use, including custom models designed for sensitive areas like national security, scientific research, and healthcare. Beyond simply providing access to the models, xAI has committed to assigning dedicated engineers to help federal agencies implement the AI tools more quickly. The company also promises an upgrade path for agencies that may need expanded features or higher usage limits in the future. xAI now joins a growing list of AI vendors approved for government use through the GSA. This list already includes major players like OpenAI and Google. Back in August, Anthropic began offering its Claude AI model to three branches of the US government for one dollar, setting a precedent for low cost access to cutting edge AI technology for federal agencies. The deal underscores the administrations pragmatic approach to technology procurement, prioritizing capability and strategic advantage over political alignments or past personal disagreements. By bringing a diverse set of AI models into the federal ecosystem, the government aims to accelerate innovation and efficiency across its numerous departments and missions.
