The US General Services Administration (GSA) has announced a new initiative with Meta to make Meta’s Llama open source AI models more accessible to federal departments and agencies. This move is part of the GSA’s OneGov strategy, which aims to streamline government-wide technology adoption by removing the need for separate negotiations by individual agencies.
Previously, Llama was available to US government agencies and contractors focused on national security, including a collaboration that sent Llama aboard the International Space Station National Laboratory. The latest initiative expands access across all federal agencies, supporting broader adoption of artificial intelligence within the government.
According to Meta, this arrangement will help federal agencies align with objectives in America’s AI Action Plan and support priorities outlined in OMB Memoranda M-25-21 and M-25-22, which encourage innovation and efficient acquisition of AI technologies in government operations.
Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Meta, said: “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.”
Meta states that its Llama models allow federal users full control over data processing and storage. As these models are publicly available, technical teams can build and deploy applications at lower costs.
Josh Gruenbaum, Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner, added: “Thanks to Meta and its commitment to advancing public sector services, our federal partners now have easier access to Llama and open source AI, which offer unique benefits for federal agencies and government use cases. Through these OneGov initiatives, GSA is driving an unprecedented acceleration of AI adoption across the federal government.”
Unlike other agreements under OneGov that require procurement negotiations, this arrangement did not need such steps because Llama models are freely available. Instead, GSA focused on ensuring that Llama meets federal requirements for consistent access across agencies.
Meta says this collaboration will give public service agencies flexibility in building mission-specific solutions while maintaining control over sensitive data. It also aims to reduce reliance on closed providers and promote transparency in AI research.