In a significant shift toward government-focused AI deployment, OpenAI has signed a deal to provide access to its AI models to U.S. defence and government agencies via Amazon Web Services. The agreement covers both classified and unclassified work, the ChatGPT maker confirmed on Tuesday.
The deal allows OpenAI to support the Pentagon under a contract secured late last month. This follows the agency’s decision to move away from its earlier AI provider, Anthropic.
Anthropic had previously won a Pentagon contract worth up to $200 million in July 2025. It worked alongside Palantir and AWS to deploy its Claude models in classified military and intelligence systems. However, the partnership ended in February after Anthropic refused to allow unrestricted military use of its AI, especially for domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons. The Pentagon then labeled it a “supply chain risk” and cut off its access to government work.
OpenAI, which earlier focused on unclassified government use, has now secured a Pentagon contract that includes classified operations. Its partnership with AWS reflects a broader shift, where access to defence and government contracts is becoming a key competitive space. Cloud providers already integrated into federal systems are playing a central role in this transition.
Winning such contracts could also strengthen OpenAI’s position in the private sector. Large enterprises often view high-level government work as a sign of trust and reliability.
Following its transition to a for-profit structure last fall, OpenAI also updated its agreement with Microsoft. This change allows the company to collaborate with rival cloud providers when delivering AI solutions to national security customers, including the Pentagon.
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