Gemini for Govt: Google to power US agencies with AI tools nearly free of charge

SAN FRANCISCO: Google has agreed to give its Gemini artificial intelligence tools to US government agencies almost free of charge, the government announced on Thursday. 

Officials said that the move will help departments adopt new technology more quickly and make their daily work easier.

A suite of AI and cloud computing services called "Gemini for Government" from Google is intended to speed up the adoption of the technology across the US government, the General Services Administration (GSA) said in a joint statement.

"Gemini for Government gives federal agencies access to our full stack approach to AI innovation," added Google chief executive Sundar Pichai.

"So they can deliver on their important missions."

AI tools being provided include the generation of video, images, and ideas, as well as digital "agents" capable of independently tending to complex tasks.

US agencies will pay a nominal fee of less than a dollar for the AI tools, building on a previous agreement that saw Google Workspace software supplied to the government at a substantial discount, according to the GSA.

"Federal agencies can now significantly transform their operations by using the tools in Gemini for Government," said GSA acting administrator Michael Rigas.

The deal comes just weeks after Google rival OpenAI said it was allowing the US government to use a version of ChatGPT designed for businesses for a year for just $1.

"By giving government employees access to powerful, secure AI tools, we can help them solve problems for more people, faster," OpenAI said in a blog post announcing the partnership.

Earlier this year, the US Department of Defense awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to put generative AI to work for the military.

OpenAI planned to demonstrate how advanced AI could improve administrative operations, such as how service members receive health care, and also noted its potential cyber defence applications, the start-up said in a post.