Meta's Llama AI Model Approved for U.S. Government Use

US government agencies can use Meta's Llama now - here's what that means

AI companies are increasingly enmeshed with the US government. The US government can now use Meta's Llama, a family of AI models. The US General Services Administration (GSA), an independent federal agency responsible for purchasing workplace equipment and software, now includes Llama -- a somewhat open-source system, though that's been debated -- as one of several approved AI tools federal agencies can use, the agency announced Monday. Also: How the Trump administration changed AI: A timeline "This collaboration will strengthen the federal government's ability to test, adapt, and deploy AI while maintaining full control over sensitive data," Meta said in a press release. Federal agencies can now use Llama to process data, generate images, and fulfill tasks. Meta previously made Llama available to US government agencies working on national security projects, but Monday's news makes the AI system more broadly available across use cases. Outside of government, Llama is already free and available to use for developers. Also: How researchers tricked ChatGPT into sharing sensitive email data Llama's publicly available and open-source nature enables federal agencies to have full control over data handling, like processing and storage. It also lowers the cost of operations for wider scaling at a more affordable rate, Meta's release notes. While open-source models can help democratize development, and in this case, access to AI tools, they can also be more at risk for security issues. In its announcement, GSA said it verified that Llama meets federal usage requirements, some of which were outlined in the Trump administration's AI Action Plan, a set of AI policy guidelines released this summer. Also: AI models know when they're being tested - and change their behavior, research shows "Through these OneGov initiatives, GSA is driving an unprecedented acceleration of AI adoption across the federal government," Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum said in GSA's announcement. Plans to increase government use of AI have popped up throughout Trump's second term, including in a leaked shell of a website prior to the release of the AI Action Plan. Llama is the latest in a list of AI tools approved for government agency use that includes Anthropic's Claude Gov, developed for routine tasks as well as intelligence and threat analysis; ChatGPT Gov, a tailored version of OpenAI's popular chatbot; and most recently, Google's Gemini for Government. More broadly, AI companies are increasingly making deals with the government. In June, OpenAI announced OpenAI for Government. Its first priority is a pilot program with the Department of Defense that uses AI across several sectors, including health care, data analytics, and cyber defense. Also: What Trump's 'big beautiful bill' means for Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 users (Hint: It's not pretty) The Trump administration has invested heavily in federal AI initiatives. In June, President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, allocating over $1 billion to AI deployment and advancement within the federal government. Some have expressed privacy concerns over the government's adoption of AI tools, considering the citizen data that government agencies have access to and may be uploading to these tools as part of their workflows. However, companies including OpenAI have said that by being hosted on local government servers and otherwise tailored to meet security thresholds, these model versions won't pose a data leak risk.

Meta's AI system, Llama, has been approved for use by U.S. federal agencies

U.S. government agencies will be able to use Meta Platforms' artificial intelligence system Llama, a senior administration official said, as the Trump administration pushes to integrate commercial AI tools into government operations. The General Services Administration, the government's purchasing arm, will add Llama to its list of approved AI tools for federal agencies, said Josh Gruenbaum, the GSA's procurement lead, in an interview ahead of announcing the initiative. Agencies will then be able to experiment with Llama, a free tool, with GSA's assurance that it meets the government's security and legal standards. Llama is a large language model capable of processing data, including text, video, images and audio.

Meta's AI System Llama Approved for Use by US Government Agencies

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. government agencies will be able to use Meta Platforms' artificial intelligence system Llama, a senior administration official said, as the Trump administration pushes to integrate commercial AI tools into government operations. The General Services Administration, the government's purchasing arm, will add Llama to its list of approved AI tools for federal agencies, said Josh Gruenbaum, the GSA's procurement lead, in an interview ahead of announcing the initiative. Agencies will then be able to experiment with Llama, a free tool, with GSA's assurance that it meets the government's security and legal standards. Llama is a large language model capable of processing data, including text, video, images and audio. GSA has also signed off in recent months on AI tools from Meta's competitors, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic and Open AI. The companies agreed to sell their paid products at steep discounts and meet the government's security requirements, GSA has said. "It's not about currying favor," Gruenbaum said when asked whether tech executives are giving the government discounts to get President Donald Trump's approval. "It's about that recognition of how do we all lock in arms and make this country the best country it could possibly be." Federal agencies will be able to deploy the tool to speed up contract review or more quickly solve information technology hiccups, among other tasks, he said. (Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Richard Chang and William Mallard)

Trump administration allowing government agencies to use Meta AI system

U.S. government agencies on Monday were approved to implement Meta's AI system Llama, a language model capable of processing and converting data including multimedia like video, photo, text and audio, in government operations. "In alignment with President Trump's AI Action Plan, GSA (General Services Administration) is dedicated to integrating AI into government operations," said Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum in a press release. "Through these OneGov initiatives, GSA is driving an unprecedented acceleration of AI adoption across the federal government." The language model could drive down costs associated with using AI to process and store data. "America is leading on AI and we want to make sure all Americans see the benefit of AI innovation through better, more efficient public services. With Llama, America's government agencies can better serve people," said Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta. The government agency has also signed off on the use of Meta competitors, which include Microsoft, Google and OpenAI. The companies, like Meta, have agreed to sell their products with hefty discounts and meet government security requirements.

Meta Teams Up With US Government To Bring Llama AI Models To Every Federal Agency - Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META)

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) launched a new initiative on Monday with Meta Platforms META to expand government-wide use of Meta's open-source Llama artificial intelligence models, giving all federal agencies streamlined access. The move reflects the GSA's OneGov strategy, eliminating the need for individual agency negotiations and reducing duplication across the federal government. Meta has already worked with federal agencies and contractors on national security projects and even sent Llama into space aboard the International Space Station. Also Read: Meta Doubles Down On AI With $50 Billion Data Center, Faces Backlash Over Energy Demands By partnering with the GSA, Meta is helping accelerate the adoption of AI tools across government, advancing the goals outlined in America's AI Action Plan and recent Office of Management and Budget directives on AI use and acquisition. Unlike traditional agreements, this arrangement required no procurement process. Instead, the GSA verified that the models meet federal standards, ensuring secure, consistent, and scalable access. The partnership will allow agencies to retain complete control over their data while building mission-specific AI solutions at lower cost. Meta stock gained 33% year-to-date, topping the Nasdaq 100 index's over 17% returns as its AI and metaverse bets gain traction. Analysts weighed in on Meta's Connect 2025 product launches last week. Meta introduced the $499 Oakley Meta Vanguard for athletes and the $799 Ray-Ban Display smart glasses with built-in AR features. Investor Gene Munster called the latter the "best bang for the buck," and analysts echoed optimism despite early adoption hurdles. Bank of America Securities analyst Justin Post noted that after testing the Display glasses and Neural Band, he found them functional, lightweight, and intuitive. He said the AR device's audio/visual capabilities and AI features strengthen his belief that AR glasses could emerge as the primary device of the AI era. He added that Meta's expanding AI ads, ramping Reels, and growing messaging monetization keep revenue upside intact. JPMorgan analyst Doug Anmuth argued that Meta's strong ad business justifies investing in long-term bets like AI and the metaverse. Anmuth still models Reality Labs' losses of about $19 billion in 2025 and $21 billion in 2026, with $71 billion in capex next year. He wrote that Meta's ownership of the social graph, competitive moat, and focus on product quality position it as a durable blue chip. Anmuth said the company's big spending signals a push to build infrastructure ahead of a multi-year capacity ramp, but he still projects solid revenue and EPS growth in 2026. Price Action: Meta stock is trading higher by 0.47% to $782.89 at last check on Monday. Read Next: Amazon Enters AR Glasses Race Against Meta's Hypernova And Apple's Lagging Vision Pro Photo: Shutterstock METAMeta Platforms Inc$779.250.11%OverviewMarket News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Meta Offers Llama to Feds to Speed Government AI Adoption | PYMNTS.com

The initiative involves the government-wide use of Meta's Llama open-source AI models, "making them more accessible to all federal departments and agencies," according to a Monday (Sept. 22) press release. The arrangement is designed to accelerate federal agency access to Meta's AI models and tools, strengthening the objectives outlined in America's AI Action Plan and supporting government priorities related to AI use. "America is leading on AI, and we want to make sure all Americans see the benefit of AI innovation through better, more efficient public services," Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in the release. "With Llama, America's government agencies can better serve people." Llama models will let federal agencies retain "full control over data processing and storage," according to the release. The models are publicly available, so technical teams can build, deploy and scale AI applications at a reduced cost. "This collaboration, bringing Meta together with federal agencies to ensure they can access Llama as needed, will strengthen the federal government's ability to test, adapt and deploy AI while maintaining full control over sensitive data," the release said. Two months ago, the White House released a policy roadmap detailing President Donald Trump's strategy to sustain U.S. leadership in the global AI race, emphasizing deregulation, infrastructure development, stricter export controls and freedom of speech for chatbots. The plan calls for AI systems to be built from the ground up with "freedom of speech" and stick to "American values" instead of being shaped by "ideological bias." In addition, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was instructed to revise its AI risk management framework to "eliminate references to misinformation, diversity, equity and inclusion, and climate change." Meanwhile, the PYMNTS Intelligence report "Generation AI: Why Gen Z Bets Big and Boomers Hold Back" found that millennials are using generative AI to capitalize on their working lives. "Millennials' pragmatic embrace of gen AI signals a shift in how the technology is evolving from novelty to utility," PYMNTS wrote Sept. 12. "Their usage isn't just experimental. It's outcome-driven."

US Govt Okays Meta's Llama AI For Use By Federal Agencies

The US General Services Administration (GSA), the federal agency responsible for managing the US government's policies relating to procurement, property, and technology, has partnered with Meta to make the company's open-source Llama artificial intelligence (AI) models more easily available to US federal agencies under its OneGov initiative. The move is aimed at cutting red tape, reducing duplication, and speeding up the adoption of AI tools across government departments. US Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner Josh Gruenbaum said that, in line with US President Donald Trump's AI Action Plan, GSA is working to integrate AI into government operations. He claimed that the OneGov initiative makes Llama and other open-source AI models more accessible to federal agencies, helping streamline processes and improve efficiency across departments. When asked about deep discounts offered by tech firms to secure approval, Gruenbaum told Reuters, "It's not about currying favour. It's about recognising how we can all work together to make this country the best it can possibly be." Elsewhere, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg added that making Llama available to US government agencies could support more efficient public services and enable agencies to experiment with AI tools in practical applications. Meta is not only working with US federal agencies but has also extended Llama access to key US allies. In consultation with the US government, Meta made its models available for defence and national security purposes to the US' Five Eyes partners: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. The company is also now expanding access to France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and European Union (EU) institutions. Governments can run the models locally, allowing them to use the AI without sending sensitive information through third-party providers. Meta said this makes Llama suitable for classified or mission-specific work. US defence agencies have already piloted projects using Llama, including with the US Army's Combined Arms Support Command to speed up equipment repairs using AI and virtual reality. Meta is working with several private sector companies, such as Lockheed Martin, IBM, Microsoft, Palantir, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud, to implement Llama-based solutions for government and defence projects. While Meta highlights the benefits of open-source AI, expanding into the defence and intelligence sectors raises broader questions. Open-source models are accessible to all, making them flexible and cost-effective, but also harder to control if misused. Providing wide access to AI in sensitive areas like national security requires strong oversight and safeguards. The US government has already underlined the need for responsible use of AI in defence through the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy. Meta has endorsed this principle, saying that countries must ensure AI is deployed "ethically, responsibly, and in accordance with relevant international law". Meta's Llama is gaining traction in the US and its allied nations, just as Chinese rival DeepSeek faces mounting bans over security and privacy concerns. The US Commerce Department has banned DeepSeek from government devices, with members of the US Congress and the country's Navy flagging national security risks. And at least 14 US states, including Texas, New York, Virginia, and Georgia, have also issued statewide bans citing surveillance fears. Globally, Italy blocked DeepSeek for failing to disclose data practices, and Taiwan, South Korea banned it within government departments and ministries, and Australia ordered its removal from all official government devices. This split underscores a widening AI divide: while the US and its allies increasingly adopt Western models for governance, Chinese systems face growing distrust. The US GSA has recently approved AI tools from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Anthropic, and OpenAI, all of which agreed to sell their paid products to federal agencies at reduced prices after meeting security requirements. Importantly, the GSA-Meta partnership highlights how AI is moving from experimental tools to core government operations, promising faster decision-making, reduced bureaucracy, and improved public services. Also, expanding Llama access to US allies strengthens geopolitical ties and underscores the strategic importance of AI in defence and national security. But at the same time, open-source models raise concerns around oversight, security, and ethical deployment, making responsible governance critical.