OpenAI deepens government push through reported AWS partnership

OpenAI has agreed with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to offer its artificial intelligence products to the U.S. government for both classified and unclassified use. AWS confirmed the arrangement to TechCrunch, while The Information first reported on the development.

This collaboration follows OpenAI’s recent agreement with the Pentagon, which allows the U.S. military to deploy its AI models within classified networks. That deal came during a broader dispute between Anthropic and the Department of Defence (DoD). Anthropic was subsequently designated a supply-chain risk by the DoD after declining to permit its technology to be used for domestic mass surveillance and fully autonomous weapons systems. In response, Anthropic has filed a lawsuit against the Pentagon.

By partnering with AWS, OpenAI is effectively entering territory long associated with Anthropic. Amazon has invested at least $4 billion in Anthropic, which relies on AWS as its primary cloud provider. Anthropic’s Claude models are integrated into Amazon Bedrock, AWS’s enterprise AI platform, and are also deeply embedded within AWS GovCloud for public-sector applications.

The new agreement enables OpenAI not only to support its Pentagon contract but also to expand its reach across multiple federal agencies using AWS’s established infrastructure. AWS, a key cloud provider for U.S. government operations, will distribute OpenAI’s offerings across its public-sector customers, according to an AWS spokesperson. This includes availability through Amazon Bedrock and deployment within AWS GovCloud and AWS Classified Regions, which support Secret and Top Secret workloads, as confirmed by an OpenAI representative.

Despite the integration with AWS, OpenAI will retain control over how its technology is used. The company will determine which of its models are made available on the platform. Additionally, AWS must notify OpenAI before granting access to particularly sensitive government clients, including intelligence agencies. OpenAI will work directly with customers to define deployment conditions, security requirements, and operational guidelines, and may impose additional safeguards depending on the use case.

The partnership could also strengthen OpenAI’s position in the enterprise market. Government contracts are often viewed by businesses as indicators of reliability and trust, potentially opening the door to additional commercial opportunities.