OpenAI is ending its $1-per-year pilot program for U.S. government agencies. A new usage-based pricing model takes effect on October 1. The General Services Administration (GSA) will manage the new 27-month agreement. Federal, state, local, and tribal governments receive a 50% discount on standard commercial rates. OpenAI will waive all typical licensing fees under this structure.
The previous $1 pilot provided ChatGPT access to approximately 3.5 million federal employees. The GSA attributes $1.4 billion in savings to this program and other AI tools. The new pay-as-you-go structure requires no minimum spending commitments. Agencies gain access to OpenAI’s latest model, GPT-6 Astra, to scale AI operations.