AI rivals Anthropic and OpenAI are fighting for a foothold in Washington D.C. Both are now offering their top AI tools to the U.S. government for just one dollar. The deals, made in August 2025, give federal workers and lawmakers access to the enterprise versions of Claude and ChatGPT.
The goal is not short-term profit but long-term power. By getting their tools used widely in government, each firm hopes to guide future AI rules and lock in a key advantage over its rivals in the public sector. Google is also reportedly in talks for a similar deeply discounted deal.
The New Washington Gold Rush: AI Rivals Battle for Federal Adoption
The battle for federal AI dominance ignited in early August, after the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) approved OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google as vendors on August 5. This set the stage for a rapid series of strategic plays, facilitated by the GSA’s streamlined procurement platform.
有一天后，Openai開了開場鏡頭。 On August 6, the company announced a landmark partnership with the GSA. The deal offers its ChatGPT Enterprise platform to the entire federal executive branch for just $1 per agency for a year.
The initiative aligns with the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan, aiming to integrate advanced AI tools across government and reduce time spent on paperwork. OpenAI is also providing educational tools and a dedicated government user community to support the rollout.
Not to be outdone, Anthropic delivered a swift and decisive response. On August 12, the company unveiled its own nearly identical agreement, but with a notably broader scope. The company is offering its “Claude for government”product for the same nominal fee.
Crucially, Anthropic is extending its offer beyond the executive branch to cover all three pillars of the U.S. government. This includes senators, members of Congress, and top judges, a strategic expansion aimed at embedding its technology across the legislative and judicial branches as well.
These back-to-back announcements have transformed the AI landscape in Washington, signaling a new and aggressive front in the war for market supremacy. The competition is set to intensify further, as reports indicate that Google is also negotiating a similar arrangement for its Gemini chatbot.
This sets up a three-way race to become the foundational AI provider for the U.S. government, moving the rivalry from commercial markets directly into the heart of federal power and policymaking.
More Than a Dollar: The Strategic Play for Influence and Market Share
The rock-bottom price tag is a clear strategic gambit, prioritizing market penetration and influence over immediate revenue. For companies like Anthropic and OpenAI, which are burning through cash at historic rates to fund development, a $1 deal is a calculated investment in long-term dominance. The primary objective is to achieve widespread adoption and deeply embed their technology within federal workflows.
By getting their tools into the hands of thousands of public servants, these firms gain an invaluable, real-world laboratory. They can learn firsthand which applications are most popular and effective across different agencies, from improving daily productivity to tackling complex analytical tasks.
This firsthand knowledge is a powerful competitive asset. It informs future product development and positions them to offer highly tailored—and far more lucrative—solutions when these initial one-year agreements expire. The insights gained could lead to entirely new enterprise products and a significant advantage in securing future full-price government contracts.
Beyond future sales, the ultimate prize is influence.兩家公司都參加了一項複雜的運動，以從內部製定AI政策。 They have a history of actively lobbying the White House and Congress on everything from export controls to domestic regulation.
By becoming the de facto AI provider for federal agencies, they move from outside lobbyists to essential partners. As government employees begin to rely on their platforms, the companies can help define the very standards for security, ethics, and responsible deployment.
This gives them a powerful and direct voice in the conversations that will determine the future of AI regulation, national security protocols, and procurement decisions. In this high-stakes game, shaping the rules is far more valuable than the initial sale.
Fostering a Competitive AI Marketplace in Government
The GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) platform allows federal agencies to access these pre-vetted tools without having to negotiate complex individual contracts, dramatically speeding up the procurement process.
The agency’s explicit goal is to accelerate AI adoption to improve the efficiency and reliability of public services. Josh Gruenbaum, Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, explained the rationale, stating, “we need to get widespread adoption [of AI tools] in the federal government. The price is going to help uptake from agencies happen that much quicker.”
He was quick to emphasize that the GSA is not anointing a single winner but deliberately creating a competitive dynamic to benefit the government. “We’re not picking a winner here. There’s almost a market efficiency when you have that competitive tension and dynamic to make these tools accurate and truthful,”he noted.
This strategy aims to leverage market forces to ensure the government has access to the most secure and capable tools. In a statement, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei endorsed this vision, saying, “america’s AI leadership requires that our government institutions have access to the most capable, secure AI tools available.”
Navigating a Complex Political and Security Landscape
While the GSA fosters this new market, the AI firms must navigate a complex and highly charged political environment. The push for AI adoption aligns with the Trump Administration’s AI Action Plan, which seeks to modernize government with new technology.
However, it also coincides with a recent executive order that aims to ban “woke AI”or models with perceived ideological biases from government contracts, a policy the vendors will have to address.
Security remains a paramount concern for all parties. A GSA spokesperson confirmed the government is taking a cautious, security-first approach to protect sensitive information, stating, “the government is taking a cautious, security‑first approach to AI. This ensures sensitive information remains protected while enabling agencies to benefit from AI‑driven efficiencies.”
The approved enterprise tools are cleared for sensitive but unclassified work. This is a crucial distinction as these companies deepen their relationships with the U.S. government, which already include significant military and intelligence contracts.
In July 2025, the Pentagon awarded major AI deals to Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic to fuel defense innovation, creating a parallel track for military adoption.
This new front in the AI wars extends beyond simple lobbying.擬人化此前曾通過反對聯邦政府對州人工智能法律的搶先率與白宮發生衝突。現在，通過爭奪價格和訪問，這些公司正在開展直接運動，以在公共部門進行長期統治。