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OpenAI and GSA: Free AI Access for 23M Government Workers by 2028

A new 27-month agreement between OpenAI and the U.S. General Services Administration eliminates monthly license fees and cuts usage costs by half for federal, state, local, and tribal governments—potentially expanding access to 23 million public-sector employees by December 2028.

KoishiAI · Reviewed by: เกียรติดำรง ตรีครุธพันธ์ · · 3 min read
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TL;DR: OpenAI’s new GSA agreement eliminates monthly fees and cuts usage costs by half, potentially expanding access to 23 million government workers by December 2028. This strategic pivot from restricted rollouts to broad availability aims to bolster cyber defense capabilities for state, local, and tribal agencies facing growing security threats with limited resources.

Key facts

  • OpenAI and GSA finalized a 27-month agreement in September 2026 under the OneGov initiative to expand AI access across U.S. government sectors.
  • The deal eliminates the standard $15 per user monthly license fee for ChatGPT Enterprise, cutting usage costs by 50% for federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.
  • Access is projected to expand from over one million current users to approximately 23 million public-sector employees nationwide by December 2028.
  • The Center for Internet Security (CIS) launched an AI Cyber Defense Pilot on September 8, 2026, partnering with OpenAI to help state and local agencies identify vulnerabilities.
  • This broad access follows a June 2026 restriction where OpenAI limited the rollout of GPT-5.6 models (Sol, Terra, Luna) to trusted partners per U.S. government requests.

OpenAI and GSA Expand AI Access Across U.S. Government

In September 2026, OpenAI and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) finalized a 27-month agreement that removes the standard $15 per user monthly license fee for government employees [3]. The deal, part of the OneGov initiative, also provides a 50% discount on usage costs for all eligible agencies across federal, state, local, and tribal governments [2]. This marks a significant shift from prior arrangements, where individual agencies had to negotiate separate contracts.

The agreement extends benefits to more than one million current users of ChatGPT in government roles and could expand access to approximately 23 million public-sector workers nationwide [3]. Federal contract records confirm that agencies such as NASA, the IRS, and the National Gallery of Art had already purchased ChatGPT Enterprise licenses before this blanket authorization was issued [4]. However, those early adopters paid standard commercial rates—now replaced under the new GSA framework.

Cyber Defense Pilot Targets State and Local Agencies

Concurrently, the Center for Internet Security (CIS) launched an AI Cyber Defense Pilot on September 8, 2026, in partnership with OpenAI [1]. The initiative focuses on state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as critical infrastructure organizations like the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).

Participants will use OpenAI technology to identify security vulnerabilities, prioritize risk mitigation efforts, support remediation workflows, and improve overall cyber hygiene [1]. Brian Calkin, CIS’s chief technology officer, emphasized that AI has the potential to be a “game changer” for defenders who face growing threats with limited staff and resources [1].

Regulatory Context: From Restricted Rollouts to Broad Access

This expansion follows a notable shift in OpenAI’s access policies. In June 2026, the company agreed to limit the initial rollout of its new GPT-5.6 models—including variants named Sol, Terra, and Luna—to a “small group of trusted partners” at the request of the U.S. government [6]. While OpenAI expressed concern that such processes should not become the long-term default, it is working with the Trump administration to establish a repeatable assessment framework for future model evaluations [6].

The new GSA deal represents a strategic pivot toward broader availability while maintaining security standards. It reflects evolving federal priorities: as responsibility for cyber defense at the state and local levels grows—particularly following changes in federal support structures for MS-ISAC—the need for scalable, AI-powered tools becomes more urgent [1].

Sources

  1. OpenAI, GSA Sign 27-Month Deal to Expand ChatGPT Access Across Government (www.cdomagazine.tech) — 2026-09-11
  2. Expanding AI access and cyber defense for federal, state, local, and tribal governments (aitoptools.com) — 2026-09-10
  3. OpenAI further expands its generative AI work with the federal government (fedscoop.com) — 2024-11-04
  4. Center for Internet Security launches AI cyber defense pilot for state and local governments | StateScoop (statescoop.com) — 2026-09-08
  5. OpenAI limits new AI models to ‘trusted partners’ at request of U.S. government (www.cnbc.com) — 2026-06-26

Frequently asked questions

How much does OpenAI ChatGPT cost for government employees under the new GSA agreement? ▼
The agreement eliminates the standard $15 per user monthly license fee and provides a 50% discount on usage costs. This deal covers federal, state, local, and tribal government agencies through December 2028.
How many government employees will benefit from the OpenAI and GSA partnership? ▼
The initiative aims to expand access to approximately 23 million public-sector workers by December 2028. Currently, more than one million users in government roles already have access to these services.
What is the purpose of the OpenAI and CIS AI Cyber Defense Pilot? ▼
The AI Cyber Defense Pilot launched on September 8, 2026, helps participants identify security vulnerabilities and prioritize risk mitigation. It supports remediation workflows to improve overall cyber hygiene for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
Which government agencies were using ChatGPT before the new GSA deal? ▼
Agencies like NASA, the IRS, and the National Gallery of Art had already purchased ChatGPT Enterprise licenses before this blanket authorization. These early adopters previously paid standard commercial rates for their access.