US Military Rolls Out Custom Versions of ChatGPT and Grok for ‘Warfighters’

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) launched custom versions of Grok and ChatGPT on its secure AI platform GenAI.mil, which has onboarded more than 1.7 million unique users. Grok for Government, from SpaceX's Starshield, offers deep-thinking inference and adaptive reasoning, while ChatGPT Mil supports document-heavy unclassified work. The move follows the Pentagon's feud with Anthropic, whose Claude remains the only major AI model missing from the platform after the government labeled the company a supply chain risk.

The U.S. military continues to go all in on AI. The Department of Defense DoD announced Monday that it launched custom versions of Grok and ChatGPT on its secure AI platform, GenAI.mil. The platform, which is cleared to handle sensitive but unclassified information, launched last year with a version of Google Gemini. The Pentagon now says GenAI.mil has onboarded more than 1.7 million unique users out of the department’s more than 3 million personnel. Those users are now getting more options. “Starshield AI’s Grok for Government will provide the warfighter with immediate productivity gains, stronger knowledge continuity and more secure and efficient collaboration,” the DoD said in a press release https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4586482/department-of-war-launches-starshield-ais-grok-for-government-on-genaimil/ . Starshield https://www.spacex.com/starshield is SpaceX’s secure satellite network for government entities. According to the department, Grok for Government includes capabilities like “deep-thinking inference, adaptive reasoning modes Auto, Fast, and Expert , customizable workspaces, persistent projects and reusable ‘playbooks’ that capture and scale institutional knowledge.” The department says Grok will help the military to “execute missions faster and with greater precision,” with potential uses ranging from market research for acquisition officials to supply-chain management. ChatGPT Mil, on the other hand, appears geared more toward chats, documents, and paperwork. “ChatGPT Mil supports document-heavy unclassified work across the Department, including planning, policy, logistics, and administration, and is built for scale to support more than 3 million Department personnel,” a separate press release https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4586352/department-of-war-launches-openais-chatgpt-mil-on-genaimil/ reads. The model is meant to speed up routine tasks and free up time for more critical projects. Additionally, the department says offering multiple models helps it avoid vendor lock-in, an interesting concern given its ongoing feud with Anthropic. Notably, Claude is now the only major AI model missing from the GenAI.mil lineup. Earlier this year, Anthropic, then the only major AI company working with the Pentagon on classified systems, reportedly hit a wall in negotiations with the DoD after officials pushed for language https://gizmodo.com/anthropic-tells-pete-hegseth-to-take-a-hike-2000727450 allowing Anthropic’s technology to be used for “any lawful purpose.” The biggest sticking points involved potential uses tied to domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons systems. After those talks fell apart, the Trump administration designated the company as a supply chain risk, https://gizmodo.com/anthropic-officially-sues-the-pentagon-for-labeling-the-ai-company-a-supply-chain-risk-2000731365 a label typically used for foreign companies considered a potential threat to national security. Soon after, several tech companies, including OpenAI and SpaceX, struck deals https://gizmodo.com/the-rest-of-big-tech-piles-in-to-take-the-pentagon-deal-that-anthropic-wouldnt-2000753280 with the Pentagon to deploy their advanced AI capabilities on classified military networks for “lawful operational use.” Anthropic responded by filing two lawsuits challenging the administration’s actions. Last week, U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled in one of those cases that the government’s actions “ constituted unlawful retaliation https://gizmodo.com/judge-says-the-pentagons-blacklisting-of-anthropic-is-illegal-2000804313 ” in violation of Anthropic’s First Amendment rights and that the company was denied due process required under the Fifth Amendment. The second case is still ongoing in federal appeals court in Washington, D.C. SpaceX and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.