ChatGPT Gov is designed for secure handling of sensitive data.
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Gov, a dedicated platform for US government agencies to securely process sensitive data using AI models. This follows the success of Chinese competitor DeepSeek, mirroring the significant usage of ChatGPT by government employees. Since January 2024, over 90,000 individuals from 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies have performed over 18 million queries.
OpenAI stated on Tuesday that this launch aims to ensure AI serves the national interest and public good, supporting responsible integration of AI capabilities to improve public services.
Built on OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, ChatGPT Gov excels at tasks including text interpretation, summarization, coding, image analysis, and mathematics. It operates within government-secured hosting environments, utilizing Microsoft Azure’s commercial and government cloud servers. This allows agencies to manage their own security, privacy, and compliance needs, according to OpenAI’s government sales lead, Felipe Millon.
OpenAI’s announcement follows President Trump’s characterization of DeepSeek’s success as a wake-up call for US tech companies.
DeepSeek’s AI Assistant app, released earlier this month, quickly became the top free app on the US Apple App Store. DeepSeek’s models pose a direct challenge to OpenAI’s offerings. Their competitive AI model, developed with limited access to advanced US chips and at lower cost, has significantly impacted global stock markets.
While OpenAI asserts ChatGPT Gov will handle sensitive, non-public information, it lacks formal US government certification. ChatGPT Enterprise, the underlying framework, isn’t yet FedRAMP approved for non-public data handling, although OpenAI expects the current infrastructure will expedite authorization.