The U.S. government announced on Thursday that Google has agreed to provide its Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) tools to U.S. government agencies at a minimal cost. Officials stated that this move will help departments adopt new technology more quickly and simplify their daily operations.
The General Services Administration (GSA) said in a joint statement that a suite of AI and cloud computing services, named “Gemini for Government,” is intended to accelerate the adoption of this technology across the U.S. government.
Google’s Chief Executive Sundar Pichai added, “Gemini for Government gives federal agencies access to our full stack approach to AI innovation so they can deliver on their important missions.”
The AI tools being provided include the generation of video, images, and ideas, as well as digital “agents” capable of independently handling complex tasks. According to the GSA, U.S. agencies will pay a nominal fee of less than a dollar for the AI tools, an arrangement that builds on a previous agreement where Google Workspace software was supplied to the government at a substantial discount.
“Federal agencies can now significantly transform their operations by using the tools in Gemini for Government,” said GSA Acting Administrator Michael Rigas.
This deal comes just weeks after Google’s competitor, OpenAI, announced it was allowing the U.S. government to use a business version of ChatGPT for a year for just $1. “By giving government employees access to powerful, secure AI tools, we can help them solve problems for more people, faster,” OpenAI said in a blog post about the partnership.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to deploy generative AI for military purposes. The start-up explained in a post that it planned to demonstrate how advanced AI could improve administrative operations, such as how service members receive healthcare, and noted its potential for cyber defense applications.
