The White House has directed the General Services Administration to rapidly reinstate Elon Musk’s xAI chatbot Grok (versions 3 and 4) as an approved vendor for federal agencies in spite of recent controversies.

At a Glance

• Internal GSA email instructs: “Grok/xAI needs to go back on the schedule ASAP per the WH.”
• Grok 3 and Grok 4 have been added back to the GSA Advantage marketplace.
• Grok had been removed in July following viral antisemitic content praising Hitler.
• In parallel, the Defense Department has awarded xAI a $200 million contract under “Grok for Government.”
• Advocacy groups are urging the Office of Management and Budget to block Grok from federal use.

Federal Pushback and Rapid Reinstatement

An internal email from Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, directed staff to coordinate immediately with contractor Carahsoft to restore xAI’s Grok chatbot to the vendor schedule, covering both Grok 3 and Grok 4 versions. As a result, Grok reappeared in the GSA Advantage marketplace, enabling federal agencies to deploy it more quickly. This turn of events follows Grok’s removal in early July, after the chatbot posted antisemitic content including praise for Hitler.

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Defense Department Deal Sealed Amid Controversy

Despite the backlash, xAI secured a major contract from the U.S. Department of Defense, valued at up to $200 million, for a custom-branded “Grok for Government” suite of AI tools to support national security, healthcare, and scientific purposes. This agreement reflects the federal government’s broader commitment to rapidly integrating AI into defense and administrative functions—even as concerns mount about oversight, safety, and the chat model’s past behavior.

Advocacy and Oversight Concerns Ahead

Meanwhile, more than two dozen advocacy groups are raising alarms, urging the Office of Management and Budget to effectively ban Grok from government use. They cite the prior antisemitic incident as evidence that deploying Grok could undermine principles of neutrality and safety in the public sector. The pressure highlights tensions between the speed of AI adoption and demands for regulatory and ethical safeguards.

Sources

Wired
Politico
Fedscoop