Tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and Box are offering significant discounts on their AI products to federal agencies, despite the Trump administration's "anti-woke" executive order. According to Josh Gruenbaum, the Federal Acquisition Service commissioner, negotiations for federal contracts don't yet involve discussions about the order due to a lack of compliance guidance.
Google's Gemini chatbot is being offered to federal agencies at a 97.65% discount, priced at $0.47 (originally $20). Google's Workspace suite is also being offered at a 71% discount. Interestingly, Google's discounted pricing for Gemini is reportedly unrelated to any specific political context.
Box CEO Aaron Levie stated that his company wasn't asked to incorporate any pricing references to the presidency. Tech companies are waiting for guidance on the executive order before adjusting their products accordingly. Joseph Larson from OpenAI believes their company is consistent with the order but needs clarification on certification.
The situation highlights the complexities of government-contractor relationships and the challenges of navigating policy expectations in the tech industry. As the government and tech companies work to clarify the implications of the executive order, the future of AI adoption in federal agencies remains uncertain.
