OpenAI partners with government contractors to enter the defense contracting market

According to ChainCatcher, OpenAI is seeking to establish a closer partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, as reported by Forbes. OpenAI has partnered with government contractor Carahsoft, a billionaire-owned company that helps tech firms provide software to the Pentagon.

Earlier this year, OpenAI quietly removed the clause in its usage policy that prohibited the use of its products for "military and warfare." Subsequently, the company was added to a defense contracting tool called "Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software, and Solutions" (CHESS). CHESS is a method used by the U.S. government to quickly and with low administrative burden purchase services from private companies.

Although OpenAI has not yet signed a contract with the Department of Defense through this channel, Carahsoft has helped it secure other government contracts. Over the past year, Carahsoft sold $108,000 worth of ChatGPT licenses to NASA and over $70,000 worth of unspecified OpenAI licenses to the National Gallery of Art.