OpenAI Unveils Government-Wide ChatGPT Access with Discounted Pricing

OpenAI has expanded its ChatGPT access to 23 million US public-sector employees, marking a significant shift from a $1-per-agency pilot program that launched in August 2025. The new pricing structure takes effect on October 1, 2026, and offers a 50% discount for federal agencies, as well as state, local, and tribal governments.

The move replaces the previous pilot program, which provided 3.5 million federal employees with access to ChatGPT Enterprise. OpenAI claims that this program generated $1.4 billion in cost savings. The company is branding the effort under its 'OpenAI for Government' initiative, emphasizing compliance with federal security standards like FedRAMP.

The expansion aligns with the Trump administration's AI Action Plan, which aims to enhance efficiency and cut administrative overhead through broader adoption of AI tools across government. State-level implementations reportedly showed productivity gains averaging 95 to 105 minutes saved per employee per day on routine administrative tasks during the pilot phase.