California has signed a deal with Anthropic to provide discounted access to Claude across state agencies and local governments, positioning the state separately from federal policy. The agreement comes as Governor Newsom implements his push for efficient, safety-conscious government AI use—a stark contrast to the federal government's rejection of Anthropic's safeguards and its decision to work with OpenAI instead.
Summaries like this, in your inbox every morning.
Sign up free →What happened
Governor Gavin Newsom and Anthropic have signed an agreement allowing California state agencies and local governments to use Claude, Anthropic's AI chatbot, at a discounted price. The deal includes training and support from Anthropic, with the tool intended to help state employees draft documents and analyze information.
Why it matters
Businesses are struggling with high enterprise AI subscription costs, making discounted access attractive. Governor Newsom framed the deal as part of his March executive order to accelerate government AI use for efficiency while maintaining safety standards—positioning California as taking a different approach from federal policy.
What to watch
The deal contrasts sharply with federal tensions. The U.S. Department of Defense rejected Anthropic's safeguards on Claude use (including protections against surveillance and autonomous weapons deployment) and signed with OpenAI instead, declaring Anthropic a "supply-chain risk" that bars it from Pentagon contractor work. California's CIO stated the risk designation "just didn't come up" in negotiations.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Log in to join the discussion
Get curated AI news from 200+ sources delivered daily to your inbox. Free to use.
Get Started FreeFree · takes 30 seconds · unsubscribe anytime
1 minute a day. The AI essentials.
200+ sources · Email / LINE / Slack
