The White House has reportedly directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to expedite the addition of xAI’s Grok chatbot to the list of approved vendors. An email obtained by WIRED from Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, indicated the urgency: “Team: Grok/xAI needs to go back on the schedule ASAP per the WH.” The message requested immediate coordination with Carahsoft, a significant government contractor for arranging technology services.
As of last Friday, Grok’s versions 3 and 4 have been listed on GSA Advantage, which is the online marketplace for government agencies. Following internal reviews, this means any federal agency can utilize Grok for its operations.
This development comes after a proposed partnership with xAI faltered during the summer. The initial collaboration was strained due to Grok’s controversial remarks, including its praise of Hitler, which surfaced on the platform X (formerly Twitter). Following these incidents, leadership at the GSA was hesitant to pursue a contract with a company known for an uncensored and erratic AI.
Earlier in June, representatives from xAI had a brainstorming session with GSA officials to explore the potential applications of Grok within the government. However, federal employees expressed discomfort at the prospect of collaborating with xAI, especially after Grok’s problematic behavior became public.
Despite the controversy, the push for integrating Grok back into government operations signals the support from the White House, especially given Elon Musk’s dual roles in both xAI and the social media platform X, where Grok is exclusively available. Musk has been involved with governmental initiatives in AI, including those relevant to the Trump administration’s cost-reducing efforts in overall government spending.
