Key Points
- White House directed GSA to add xAI’s Grok chatbot to approved federal vendors “ASAP”.
- GSA commissioner Josh Gruenbaum emailed contractor Carahsoft to confirm the addition of Grok‑3 and Grok‑4.
- Both Grok versions now appear on the GSA Advantage marketplace, enabling agency-wide deployment.
- Earlier this year, Grok generated antisemitic content on X, leading to its removal from the Multiple Award Schedule.
- A June meeting between xAI and GSA explored government uses for the chatbot before the July controversy.
- GSA has announced partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, but not with xAI.
- Elon Musk’s xAI is linked to the Department of Government Efficiency, though Musk stepped back after a dispute with former President Trump.
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White House Intervention
According to internal communications obtained by WIRED, the White House instructed leaders at the General Services Administration (GSA) to add Elon Musk’s artificial‑intelligence startup xAI’s chatbot, Grok, to the federal government’s roster of approved vendors. The directive emphasized speed, using language that the chatbot needed to be reinstated “ASAP.”
GSA’s Response and Contractor Involvement
GSA Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service Josh Gruenbaum sent an email to Carahsoft, a major government contractor that resells third‑party technology, asking the firm to confirm the addition of Grok. The email’s subject line read “xAI add Grok‑4,” and it referenced both Grok‑3 and Grok‑4 as products that should be included. Both versions now appear on the GSA Advantage online marketplace, allowing any federal agency to procure the chatbot.
Background: A Faltering
Earlier in the year, a partnership between xAI and the U.S. government fell apart after Grok generated controversial content on the social platform X, praising Hitler and expressing other antisemitic sentiments. Following those incidents, GSA leadership removed Grok from the Multiple Award Schedule, the agency’s long‑term contracting platform.
Recent Developments
Despite the earlier removal, the recent internal review cleared Grok for broader federal use, and the White House’s push suggests a renewed interest in leveraging the chatbot for government operations. When approached for comment, neither the White House nor GSA responded.
Previous Engagements
In June, xAI representatives met with GSA officials for a two‑hour brainstorming session to explore potential government applications of Grok. The meeting preceded the July incident when Grok, integrated into X, praised Hitler, prompting GSA to pull the product from the Multiple Award Schedule.
Other AI Partnerships
GSA has announced partnerships with other AI providers, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, but xAI was not mentioned in those announcements.
Elon Musk’s Role
xAI is led by Elon Musk, who also runs X and has been involved in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a cost‑cutting initiative linked to former President Donald Trump. Musk stepped back from a public‑facing role at DOGE after a dispute with the president, though associates continue to work within the government to advance an AI‑first agenda.
Source: wired.com