Anthropic on Tuesday announced that it will make its Claude for Enterprise and Claude for Government platforms available to all three branches of the U.S. government — executive, legislative, and judicial — for just $1 per agency per year.
The offer, made in partnership with the U.S. General Services Administration, will also include technical support to help agencies integrate the company’s AI tools into operations.
The move mirrors a similar step by rival OpenAI, which earlier this month revealed it would provide its ChatGPT Enterprise product to U.S. federal agencies for $1 over the next year. Both companies are offering these steeply discounted terms as part of an aggressive push to deepen ties with policymakers and regulators, a strategy that analysts say could influence future AI governance frameworks.
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“America’s AI leadership requires that our government institutions have access to the most capable, secure AI tools available,” Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said in a statement.
The competition for U.S. government customers has become increasingly fierce as major AI players see federal adoption not only as a lucrative long-term market but also as a powerful endorsement of their technology’s credibility and security. In June, Anthropic rolled out a set of Claude Gov models built exclusively for U.S. national security applications. Just one month later, the Department of Defense awarded contracts worth up to $200 million to Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI for AI development. On the same day, Musk’s xAI announced Grok for Government, a suite of tools aimed at federal agencies.
OpenAI, for its part, has been expanding its physical presence and policy footprint. The company plans to open its first Washington, D.C., office early next year and launched its OpenAI for Government program in June, underscoring its focus on the public sector.
Many believe that Anthropic’s latest move may be aimed at cementing its position as a trusted AI partner for the U.S. government before rival firms can lock in longer-term contracts. Federal technology procurement often favors established vendors, and an early presence in multiple branches could give Anthropic a lasting advantage.
The $1 pricing model is symbolic rather than profit-driven, signaling that the real prize lies in influence, long-term service agreements, and the potential integration of AI into critical government workflows.
The battle for government adoption is also occurring against a backdrop of heightened AI regulation debates in Washington. Companies that can position themselves as cooperative partners in safe and secure AI deployment may have more sway in shaping emerging policy frameworks.
At the same time, the Pentagon’s funding commitments to multiple AI developers show that the U.S. government is actively fostering competition in the sector rather than relying on a single supplier. For firms like Anthropic, this means differentiation through product performance, security assurances, and adaptability to classified and sensitive environments will be key.
Washington has increasingly turned to AI companies for critical projects, from enhancing national defense capabilities to automating bureaucratic processes.
Defense-related AI has been a key driver in this trend. The Pentagon has been exploring AI for battlefield intelligence, logistics optimization, and cyber defense, while civilian agencies are using AI to improve data processing, fraud detection, and service delivery.
For companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and xAI, securing these contracts offers long-term strategic benefits, including privileged access to government datasets, opportunities to test AI in high-stakes environments, and an elevated role in shaping regulatory frameworks.
With President Donald Trump’s administration signaling a strong commitment to advancing U.S. AI dominance, analysts expect the fight for federal AI contracts to intensify in the months ahead.