California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a one-of-a-kind partnership with Anthropic AI, making Claud the first AI available to all state agencies and local governments at a discounted rate. “We’re entering a partnership to strengthen cybersecurity and provide @ClaudeAI to state agencies — and California local governments — at a 50% discount. The Golden State helped build Silicon Valley — and every Californian should benefit from the responsible use of their latest innovations,” he announced.The development comes as Anthropic is at loggerheads with the Donald Trump administration after the government restricted the rollout of the company’s most advanced models and designated it as a risk to the national supply chain.“AI should not replace the human work of government,” Newsom said in a statement regarding his Anthropic deal. “It should help our workers move faster, solve problems more effectively, and deliver better results for Californians.”Through the agreement, state agencies may access Anthropic’s AI productivity assistant, Claude, at a 50% discounted price, coupled with free workforce training as well as expert GenAI technical assistance and workflow input from Anthropic developers. The agreement also provides the same discounted offer for California’s local governments, including cities and counties.“Building AI responsibly and in service of people has been our approach from the start, and that’s exactly what this partnership puts into practice,” said Kate Jensen, Anthropic’s head of Americas, in a statement.Claude is already being used for customer service at the California DMV and for internal workflows that assist Medicaid recipients at the Department of Health Care Services. The state Department of Technology has a cybersecurity partnership with Anthropic, using Claude to spot vulnerabilities in state code and critical systems.California’s broader AI push includes using the technology in government while tracking its potential impact on workers. Last week, Newsom’s office announced a tool to track whether AI is contributing to job losses in the state. California’s first meeting with Anthropic for the deal was March 5, the same day the Pentagon formally labeled the Claude maker a supply chain risk.
