OPM makes Copilot, ChatGPT available to its workforce; Meta offers Llama AI models to government for free

The Office of Personnel Management is rolling out Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT to its workforce, following a similar move by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to internal emails obtained by FedScoop, OPM Director Scott Kupor told workers that Microsoft 365’s Copilot Chat became available last Monday and that ChatGPT-5 access would be available “over the next few days” to all workers. Kupor said the move “is part of our broader effort to equip you with AI tools that help you work faster, think bigger, and collaborate better,” calling for OPM to “lead the way in using AI thoughtfully and effectively — starting now.” OPM spokeswoman McLaurine Pinover confirmed one of the emails sent by Kupor about access to the two tools. She said both offerings were the result of deals the General Services Administration has inked with companies to provide services at deeply discounted rates as part of its OneGov initiative. OPM was also able to add Copilot to the agency’s existing subscription at no cost with Microsoft’s new GSA contract in place. Similar to the HHS rollout, Kupor cautioned workers using the tools to still use their best judgment and previewed training from the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Federal workers will soon have the ability to use Meta’s Llama artificial intelligence models at no cost for the agency under a new deal with the General Services Administration. GSA announced Monday it reached a deal with Meta, which will offer its open-source AI models and tools to federal agencies for free. The agency emphasized that the open-source nature of the Llama models allows agencies to “retain full control over data processing and storage.” Meta’s free offer to the government follows deals from a number of other technology companies selling their products, namely AI products, to agencies for a significantly cheaper price. The Trump administration has repeatedly encouraged agencies to adopt emerging tech to streamline workflows. Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Meta, said the company wants to ensure “all Americans see the benefit of AI through better, more efficient public services.”