This week, in a significant development amidst the backdrop of intensifying AI competitiveness, OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Gov
This customised version of the AI-powered chatbot platform is tailored specifically for U.S government agencies, providing them with an advanced tool to access and utilise Open AI technology.
Microsoft announced back in 2023 that its Azure OpenAI Service was available for Azure Government customers. The new service will allow government agencies to use generative AI capabilities in a way that meets security and privacy requirements. OpenAI can now also be deployed in Microsoft Gov Data Centres.
What is ChatGPT Gov?
So ChatGPT Gov mirrors many capabilities of OpenAI’s enterprise-focused tier, ChatGPT Enterprise. By leveraging this platform, Open AI say that government agencies can deploy specific OpenAI models on both Microsoft Azure commercial and government clouds as well as using Microsoft’s own Azure AI models for example. This integration brings enhanced management of security, privacy, and compliance concerns, which is crucial for handling non-public sensitive and classified data.
ChatGPT Gov also aims to streamline internal authorisation processes, making it easier for agencies to implement OpenAI’s tools effectively as easily with the relevant guard rails in place.
What about Azure Open AI for Gov
Microsoft Open AI, enables federal, state, and local government agencies to use GPT-3, GPT-4 and 4o along with embeddings via the Azure OpenAI Service REST APIs. This capability helps to improve natural language-to-code translation, semantic search, content generation, and summarisation and for Gov to build and use Microsoft Open AI services across Gov cloud.
Gen AI in Government
Since its introduction, ChatGPT has already seen extensive adoption across the U.S. government as well as here in the UK. I’m. Personally working with a dozen or so local governments and councils here in the UK on AI adoption.
Open AI says that more than 90,000 users from more than 3,500 federal, state, and local agencies have collectively sent over 18 million messages to support their daily operations. This widespread usage demonstrates Open AI and Microsoft’s potential to transform government workflows and decision-making processes.
What about Copilot
While ChatGPT Gov offers a robust AI solution for government agencies, it’s worth exploring how Microsoft 365 Copilot also serves these needs. Microsoft
For many organisations using or exploring Gen AI tools like ChatGPT, many are using a combination of tools and services from different vendors. Open AI and Microsoft are tightly partnered.
Microsoft 365 Copilot is built on Open AI (which in turns runs in Microsoft Azure) and integrates seamlessly with existing Microsoft 365 tools, providing personalised assistance across a range of applications such as Word, Excel, and Outlook and also supports the building (both professional and low code) of autonomous AI agents, and scheduled prompts (coming soon).
This integration ensures that users can enhance productivity and streamline tasks within the familiar Microsoft ecosystem. So how does Microsoft 365 Copilot differ to ChatGPT?
ChatGPT
- Targeted for AI-powered chat and conversation but also supports connectors and extebsibikity to other services via extensions and APIs.
- Recently launched the ChatGPT Gov version for U.S. government agencies and are expected to do similar in other global regions.
- Deployable on Microsoft Azure commercial and government clouds
- Doesn’t provide native integration into line of business office apps and services like Office 365, Power Platform and Fabric.
Microsoft 365 Copilot
- Customised version of ChatGPT that runs in Microsoft 365 Tennant boundaries.
- Provides chat based conversations and access to company agents and connectors on PAYG basis or via Microsoft 365 Copilot subscription.
- Embedded within Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook as well as Dynamics 365 and Power Platform.
- Designed to enhances productivity and efficiency within the existing Microsoft ecosystem and seen as add on to Microsoft 365 on a per user per month billing method.
- Can provides contextual assistance and automation for daily tasks and workflows through agents and autonomous agents (public preview).
In conclusion, while both ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot are powerful AI tools, they cater to slightly different use cases
US Government agencies may find ChatGPT Gov particularly beneficial for secure, AI-driven interactions (in place of the general version of ChatGPT) , whereas Microsoft 365 Copilot excels in enhancing productivity and providing natively and seemlessly integration into their wider app services and data. Gov agencies using Microsoft 365 Copilot and Azure AI or Open AI deployed in Azure also benefit from enhanced controls and security protection.
It’s great to see Open AI providing dedicated models and instances for central and federal governments.