OpenAI Offers ChatGPT To US Federal Agencies for $1 a Year

OpenAI will provide ChatGPT access to US federal agencies for $1 annually through the General Services Administration's new AI marketplace that also includes Google and Anthropic as approved vendors. The nominal pricing represents the deepest discount GSA has negotiated with software providers, surpassing previous deals with Adobe and Salesforce.

OpenAI said it will not use federal worker data to train its models and agencies face no renewal requirements. The $1 rate applies only to the ChatGPT chatbot interface, not OpenAI's API for custom software development.

Typing anything into a ChatGPT window...

[zurkeyon]

Now essentially means you are speaking directly to the FBI/CIA. (Not that it didn't before, now it almost explicitly declared) Good to know. I'll use it as their new customer service hotline ;-D

Re:

[Entrope]

What are you talking about, Willis?

The federal court case where the NYT is suing OpenAI supports something vaguely like you are claiming -- that OpenAI could be ordered to capture and turn over user data to the government, subject to it being approved and restricted in advance by a court. But this particular story is about federal agencies being able to use the same chatbot interface that any of us can use, except for cheap. This doesn't give them any special access to anyone else's data.

Re:

[mspohr]

"OpenAI said it will not use federal worker data to train its models and agencies face no renewal requirements. "

If you believe that I have a bridge to sell you.

Re:

[Entrope]

I didn't say anything about whether I believe that, but thanks for speculating?

A company I work with thought they could rely on that kind of clause (which is available in OpenAI's commercial-use contracts) in a different context, until security and contracts people disabused them of the notion.

Re:

[Alascom]

subject to it being approved and restricted in advance by a court.
This doesn't give them any special access to anyone else's data.

The NYT is suing to get access to OpenAI user chats...
So now we need to worry about everyone getting access to both the Governments data as well as our own, every single time someone files a lawsuit or a random judge signs a piece of paper... I am not sure which scares me more.

Re:

[zurkeyon]

The "Why" they would do such a thing, and the other possible uses for the data, that we know it collects (Even if they say it doesn't), are the only things that really matter. Whatever they are telling you is the reason for a profit-negative situation they just willingly engaged in, vs the real reasons behind the scenes, are almost always two different things these days.

Re: Typing anything into a ChatGPT window...

[viperidaenz]

The NYT case demonstrates OpenAI can't be trusted with data. It's about releasing data they told customers they had already deleted.

$1 a year?

[buss_error]

Hmm. Sounds like the first "taste" is free. Now, why does that ring a (warning) bell....

Re:

[srg33]

Precisely: drug dealer 101.

Re:$1 a year?

[nightflameauto]

Hmm. Sounds like the first "taste" is free. Now, why does that ring a (warning) bell....

A little of that, a little of, "Get those roots planted in the government deep and firm." These companies want to become essential to the government, and government is a treasure-trove of vital, sustaining data. I'm actually surprised they're charging at all, considering the profits they'll make selling that government data on, or at least using it for training data.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

>I'm actually surprised they're charging at all
It probably serves the same purpose as a $1 consideration in a written contract, to show that something was exchanged to fulfill the government's part of the agreement. I doubt the government will actually pay, and I doubt that OpenAI is expecting payment. It's hardly worth the effort.
I have been party to a contract where the low consideration $ never got paid, it was more like a statement of the other party's intent to develop, plus terms and conditions, an

Re:

[nightflameauto]

>I'm actually surprised they're charging at all It probably serves the same purpose as a $1 consideration in a written contract, to show that something was exchanged to fulfill the government's part of the agreement. I doubt the government will actually pay, and I doubt that OpenAI is expecting payment. It's hardly worth the effort. I have been party to a contract where the low consideration $ never got paid, it was more like a statement of the other party's intent to develop, plus terms and conditions, and a statement of how much they will pay once they break ground. When they did pay it was well over $100k and the consideration got ignored. I'm guessing after one year, once everyone at these agencies finds OpenAI's services indispensable, OpenAI will likely charge normal or professional rates.

You could have just said like when Saul asked for a buck from Walt in Breaking Bad to make him his client.

Re:

[drinkypoo]

All it will cost is $1 a year plus all American's PII and PHI and FTI

Re:

[Retired Chemist]

We need to see the exact terms. Is it $1 a year or $1 a year and other considerations, which can mean essentially anything the two parties have agreed to and do not want to disclose.

Offtopic because I put the tick in the wrong place

[drinkypoo]

It's clearly not due to the content

Re:

[Mr. Dollar Ton]

Sounds like desperation on the part of Altman. He appears to have lost the only viable market for "AI".

Look how some other "AI" snake oil outfits don't have to offer their service for peanuts, because they don't have any scruples.

These outfits are choosing instead to help authoritarian rulers or wannabies like the donold, putinyahu or whoever to comb government data and create lists of targets for the state terror tactics.

And those outfits do get paid well.

See here: https://www.wsj.com/tech/palan... [wsj.com]

or here

Will not use data to train

[jrnvk]

Said with a wink

cost millions

[groobly]

Of course, the $1 will be billed monthly, with a monthly charge of $0.0833. The estimated cost of implementing a system to pay this amount by the government is estimated by CBO to be $3 million annually.

list games

[Joe_Dragon]

list games

Unfair competition? Stifling competition.

[Fly Swatter]

Wouldn't this be the same as a toilet manufacturer pricing their product below cost to get a government contract while causing competitors to go out of business since no one can compete with what is essentially free?

(sorry run on sentence a bit)

Re:

[PPH]

while causing competitors to go out of business

Do OpenAI and other AI vendors depend that much on the government sector for their income? Somehow, I don't think so. On the other hand, is there a network effect? Wherein the IRS and other agencies expect to receive ChatGPT-compatible input. So everyone obliged to file with them figure they'll either have to convert their submittals or just bite the bullet and switch to ChatGPT. Then solution there is to place the burden of conversion from some open data format to their preferred one onto the government ag

The first hit

[wakeboarder]

is free. Also why not gather in all that government data while you're at it.