Jun 30, 2026 11:51:00

California partners with Anthropic to make Claude available to state agencies and local governments at half price.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a partnership with Anthropic, a leading California company known for its AI 'Claude' series. This partnership will allow state and local governments to use Claude at a 50% discount and receive support from the developer.

Newsom announces a first-of-its-kind partnership, providing Anthropic tools to state agencies and improving services for Californians | Governor of California

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/06/29/governor-newsom-announces-a-first-of-its-kind-partnership-providing-yearic-tools-to-state-agencies-and-improving-services-for-californians/

Governor Newsom stated, 'This partnership is based on the California way of using technology: responsible, transparent, and for the benefit of the people. AI is not meant to replace the jobs of government employees, but rather to help them get things done quickly, solve problems effectively, and deliver better results for the people of California.'

This partnership will allow California government agencies and local authorities, including cities and counties, to access Anthropic's AI assistant 'Claude' at a 50% discount, as well as receive free training from Anthropic and expert technical support and workflow advice on generative AI from developers.

Kate Jensen, Anthropic's head of U.S. operations, said, 'As a company based in California, we feel a deep sense of responsibility to the state. We are honored to expand our collaboration with California agencies and to be able to use 'Claude' for the people who support the state. Building AI responsibly for people has been Anthropic's approach since its inception, and this partnership is a perfect example of putting that approach into practice.'

Nick Madros, California's Director

of Government Administration, said, 'As state employees, our goal is to provide the best possible service to the people of California. To achieve this, we need to ensure that our teams are able to utilize cutting-edge tools, including Claude and other technologies.'

The 'Claude' system has already been implemented in California and is being used, for example, in 'Engaged California,' the first deliberative democracy platform in the United States, which is a mechanism to more strongly reflect the voices of the people in policy-making.

Engaged California
https://engaged.ca.gov/

Claude also played a role in building 'Poppy,' an AI tool designed to suit the general tasks of state employees.

Poppy: California's Digital Assistant - CDT

https://www.cdt.ca.gov/poppy/

In addition, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is using Claude to improve customer service and reduce waiting times, while the California Department of Health Services is using it to enhance support for Medicaid beneficiaries.