U.S. — The GenAI.mil platform launched in December 2025 and initially offered access only to a specialized military version of Google’s Gemini. The expansion brings two new commercial models into the secure government environment, increasing the tools available to personnel across the department.

GenAI.mil currently has 1.7 million users within the Department of War’s 3 million-person workforce, according to the Department of Defense. This adoption rate represents more than half of the total personnel eligible to use the platform since its inception less than a year ago.

The Department of War awarded defense contracts worth up to $200 million each to OpenAI and SpaceXAI to provide AI tools. The department also awarded contracts to Google and Anthropic at the same time as the OpenAI and SpaceXAI awards, establishing a multi-vendor approach to artificial intelligence integration.

The military version of ChatGPT is named ChatGPT Mil and is part of the OpenAI for Government initiative. "ChatGPT Mil brings a familiar commercial experience into the Department’s secure environment, tailored to warfighter needs," a press release stated.

Impact Level 5 (IL5) refers to sensitive U.S. government information that is not classified. This security designation allows personnel to process official documents while maintaining a barrier between government data and commercial cloud infrastructure.

The military version of Grok is called Starshield AI’s Grok for Government. The model provides access to deep thinking-inference and different levels of reasoning including auto, fast, and expert, offering varied computational approaches for different analytical tasks.

A press release noted that the technology would support diverse logistical and acquisition functions. "It will also enable 'the Joint Force to execute missions faster and with greater precision across numerous operational contexts, ranging from market research analysis for acquisition professionals to supply-chain management for logisticians,' the statement read."

War Secretary Pete Hegseth has pushed for AI to become part of the Pentagon’s daily workflows in line with the White House’s AI Action Plan. The White House AI Action Plan states: The United States must aggressively adopt AI within its Armed Forces if it is to maintain its global military preeminence.

Hegseth circulated a memo in December stating: I expect every member of the Department to log in, learn it, and incorporate it into your workflows immediately. AI should be in your battle rhythm every single day. On December 9, 2025, workers saw a pop-up on their computers with a stylized GenAI.mil logo and the words I want YOU to use AI with a link to a government website.

Anthropic’s Claude is not included in the addition of Grok and ChatGPT to GenAI.mil. In January 2026, Hegseth publicly criticized AI models that won’t allow you to fight wars," a comment directed at Anthropic."

In February 2026, President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s technology. Hegseth designated Anthropic a "supply-chain risk." Gizmodo reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic a 'supply chain risk' under 10 U.S.C. § 3252, a procurement authority typically used to address foreign threats to military systems.

Anthropic sued the Department of War one month after being designated a supply-chain risk. A judge ruled last week that the Department of War acted unlawfully by designating Anthropic a supply-chain risk, though the company’s tools remain excluded from the current GenAI.mil expansion.

What's New

On August 31, 2026, the Department of Defense added OpenAI's ChatGPT Mil and Starshield AI’s Grok for Government to GenAI.mil, providing 3 million military and civilian personnel with access to specialized versions of these AI tools. The GenAI.mil platform, which now includes ChatGPT Mil and Grok for Government, has onboarded more than 1.7 million unique users out of the department’s 3 million personnel, according to the Department of Defense.

The GenAI.mil platform runs at Impact Level 5 (IL5) to protect Controlled Unclassified Information and keep sensitive data separated from consumer-facing training systems. The Pentagon’s versions of ChatGPT and Grok are exempt from data collection.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on the details regarding specialized versions. The Department of War announcement stated that service members can use the specialized versions of ChatGPT and Grok for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) at Impact Level 5 (IL5).

Sources differ on what the platform includes regarding ChatGPT. Joe Larson stated that "ChatGPT on GenAI.mil will make unclassified work throughout the Department more efficient, freeing up time and resources so DoW personnel can focus on the mission."

Sources differ on the role of The Pentagon. The Department of War press release stated that the Pentagon is providing 3 million military and civilian workers access to specialized versions of ChatGPT and Grok through the GenAI.mil platform.

Why It Matters

The expansion of GenAI.mil to include ChatGPT Mil and Grok for Government marks a step in the Department of War’s effort to integrate artificial intelligence into daily operations. With 1.7 million users already onboarded, the platform has established a baseline of adoption among the 3 million military and civilian personnel, suggesting that the new tools will reach a substantial portion of the workforce quickly.

The exclusion of Anthropic’s Claude follows a series of administrative and legal actions, including a supply-chain risk designation by War Secretary Pete Hegseth and a subsequent court ruling that found the designation unlawful. Despite the legal reversal, the current configuration of GenAI.mil proceeds without Anthropic’s technology, reflecting the administration’s directive to prioritize AI models that align with specific warfighting requirements as outlined in the White House AI Action Plan.