Built for heightened security, ChatGPT Gov allows agencies to process non-public, sensitive information within their own secure hosting environments, OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil told reporters on Monday.
Unlike ChatGPT Enterprise, which operates on OpenAI’s cloud infrastructure, the government-focused version runs within Microsoft Azure’s commercial and government clouds, enabling agencies to control their own security, privacy, and compliance measures, said Felipe Millon, OpenAI’s federal sales lead.
Since early 2024, OpenAI reports that over 90,000 federal, state, and local government employees have used ChatGPT for more than 18 million prompts, leveraging it for tasks such as document translation, policy memo drafting, coding, and application development.
While AI adoption in government has been met with privacy and bias concerns, OpenAI says it acknowledges the special considerations that come with public sector use. In its announcement, the company emphasized that ChatGPT Gov would be subject to OpenAI’s usage policies.
During a product demonstration, OpenAI engineers showcased how a new administration employee could use ChatGPT Gov to create a five-week job plan, analyze handwritten notes on a document, and generate memos for legal and compliance teams—all with the ability to translate content into multiple languages.
ChatGPT Enterprise, the foundation for ChatGPT Gov, is undergoing the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification, a key step before it can process non-public data. Weil described the process as lengthy but indicated OpenAI is working to expedite government adoption.
“I know President Trump is also looking at how we can potentially streamline that,” Weil said.
“It’s one way of getting more modern software into the government and helping it run more efficiently.”
ChatGPT Gov is expected to launch soon, with agencies possibly gaining access within a month, according to Millon. Defense, law enforcement, and healthcare agencies are likely to be among the first adopters.
On OpenAI’s broader AI strategy, Weil downplayed concerns over China’s DeepSeek, noting that its rise reinforces the urgency for the US to lead in AI development.
“This is a globally competitive industry,” Weil said.
“We’re moving quickly to stay ahead.”
