OpenAI, Google and Anthropic Cleared for US Civilian AI Contracts

The US General Services Administration on 5 August added OpenAI, Google and Anthropic to its Multiple Award Schedule, formally authorising the three companies to supply artificial-intelligence tools to civilian federal agencies through pre-negotiated contracts. The designation streamlines procurement by letting agencies buy generative-AI services without conducting separate vendor evaluations or price talks. GSA said the firms were cleared after security and performance reviews, meeting new federal guidelines that aim to ensure government systems use AI that is reliable and free of ideological bias. The move is expected to accelerate adoption of large-language-model and other AI capabilities across departments ranging from health to transportation, expanding a federal market already served by cloud and software providers such as Microsoft and Amazon.