US Senate to employees: You can use only these three AI chatbots for official use; approved list misses Elon Musk's Grok; read memo

Staffers in the US Senate have now been officially cleared to use only three AI chatbots for their work. The three chatbots allowed to use in the US Senate are OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. This decision of the US Senate was outlined in a memo sent by the Senate Sergeant at Arms’ Chief Information Officer, obtained by Business Insider and first reported by The New York Times. The memo highlighted Microsoft Copilot, noting its integration into the Microsoft 365 tools already used by Senate staff. Copilot can assist with routine tasks such as drafting and editing documents, summarizing information, preparing talking points, briefing material, and conducting research and analysis. The memo also emphasised that Copilot operates within Microsoft’s secure government cloud and does not access Senate data unless explicitly shared in a prompt.

AI Chatbot missing from the list

Notably absent from the approved list is Elon Musk’s Grok, the AI chatbot developed by xAI. The Senate also withheld approval of Claude, Anthropic’s chatbot which is under evaluation. Internal Senate IT notes suggest Claude is still being reviewed, while Anthropic faces a dispute with the Trump administration over restrictions on using its technology for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons.

House vs. Senate

The House of Representatives has already authorized the use of ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Claude, according to the POPVOX Foundation, a nonprofit focused on modernizing Congress. The Senate’s narrower approval list highlights a more cautious approach to AI adoption.

Read the full memo sent to US Senate staffers

Artificial Intelligence Platforms Approved for Senate Use

The Sergeant at Arms (SAA) office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) has approved the use of three Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms with Senate data. Microsoft Copilot Chat is available now for use by all Senate employees at no cost. Google Workspace with Gemini Chat and OpenAI ChatGPT Enterprise also have been approved for use with the assignment of a Senate license.The SAA will provide each Senate employee one Generative AI license at no cost for either Google Workspace with Gemini Chat or OpenAI ChatGPT Enterprise. More information about licensing for those two platforms will be provided by the CIO in the next thirty days.ABOUT COPILOT CHATCopilot Chat is an AI assistant that is integrated into the Senate's Microsoft 365 environment. It can help with routine Senate work, including drafting and editing documents, summarizing information, preparing talking points and briefing material, and conducting research and analysis. You can access the Copilot Chat web app here or download the Copilot Chat app on your mobile device. You may also see Copilot offered as a sidebar tool within Microsoft applications like Word and Excel.Important Note: Copilot Chat does not have access to any Senate data unless that information is explicitly shared within a prompt. Copilot does not search internal drives, shared folders, email, Teams chats, or any other Senate resources on its own. Copilot Chat operates in Microsoft's secure government cloud and meets federal and Senate cybersecurity requirements. Data shared with Copilot Chat stays within the secure Microsoft 365 Government environment and is protected by the same controls that safeguard other Senate data.To learn more about Copilot Chat, take the Copilot Chat Training.Use of artificial intelligence tools is governed by the Senate AI Policy and applicable office-level policies. To learn more about Senate AI initiatives, visit the Artificial Intelligence Webster Page.If you have questions or need assistance with AI platforms or policies, call 202-224-8377 or email the Technology Experience Partners.NOTE: You must be logged onto the Senate network to view internal links. If viewing on a mobile phone, links may need to be copied and pasted into the Senate browser. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact CIO Technology Experience Partners (TEP).