ChatGPT dominates Capitol Hill's AI spending, commanding 90% of congressional AI budget

OpenAI's ChatGPT has emerged as the dominant AI platform among members of Congress, capturing the lion's share of Capitol Hill's artificial intelligence expenditures, according to newly analyzed House disbursement data.

ChatGPT's overwhelming market share#

During the fiscal year ending March 31, ChatGPT accounted for approximately 90% of all AI tool spending across House offices, committees, and institutional accounts. The platform generated roughly $100,580 in purchases through 798 separate transactions, out of at least $113,740 in total AI spending by the chamber. Anthropic's Claude came in a distant second, generating just $13,160 across 37 transactions.

Partisan spending patterns#

The adoption of AI tools shows a notable partisan divide within the House. Democratic offices led the charge, accounting for $54,165 in AI-related purchases—more than three times the $15,782 that Republican offices spent during the same period.

How Congress uses AI#

Capitol Hill staffers have integrated AI into a range of legislative workflows. ChatGPT and similar tools help with drafting internal communications, condensing and evaluating pending legislation, managing constituent correspondence, assembling materials for committee hearings, reviewing policy documents, and composing digital media content.

Data limitations#

These figures exclude any AI adoption conducted through free-tier accounts or AI capabilities embedded within broader software contracts, meaning the actual footprint of AI adoption in Congress may be significantly larger than reported.