Sweden’s Government Offices blocks ChatGPT and Claude on staff computers
Sweden’s Government Offices will restrict direct ChatGPT and Claude access from Oct. 26 while retaining reviewed Microsoft Copilot.
By Theo Nakamura · Staff Writer
· 2 min read
Sweden’s Government Offices will block direct access to ChatGPT and Claude on staff computers from Oct. 26, according to Decrypt, which cited Sveriges Radio. For investors following workplace AI adoption, the policy shows how a public institution can limit consumer AI tools while still allowing selected, reviewed services.
The Government Offices is the administrative body that supports Sweden’s prime minister and cabinet. The reported change applies to that organization, rather than representing a ban across Sweden’s entire government or public sector.
Microsoft Copilot will remain the approved AI tool after the Government Offices reviewed it and adjusted its security settings, Decrypt reported. That distinction centers on how a service is approved and controlled, not on a blanket rejection of AI assistants.
Why is Sweden’s Government Offices blocking ChatGPT and Claude?
Mikael Wettercrantz, the Government Offices’ director of digitalisation, said on the staff intranet that using AI services without a formal contract could have consequences for information security, according to Decrypt’s account of the Sveriges Radio report.
Wettercrantz also said officials had identified problematic use of open AI services. The concerns involved both the sensitivity of information entered into a tool and the way AI-generated answers were handled, the report said.
A formal agreement can set terms for how a provider handles employee inputs. The reported policy therefore draws a line between direct use of consumer-facing services and tools that have undergone a security review within the Government Offices.
Can Swedish government staff still use ChatGPT or Claude?
Some employees may still be able to use ChatGPT and Claude through an AI-assistant platform developed internally by the Government Offices, Decrypt reported. The press office had not said how many staff members would have that access or what restrictions the platform would apply.
That caveat means the decision is more limited than a total prohibition on the underlying models. It blocks direct access on staff computers while preserving a reported internal route for an unspecified group of employees.
Other Swedish agencies have taken similar steps, according to Decrypt. Sweden’s Tax Agency and the National Board of Institutional Care had already restricted consumer AI tools, while the Enforcement Authority was preparing its own decision. Separately, an internal audit at the Transport Administration found about 10 AI services being used in what it described as a widespread and risky way.
The available reporting does not detail the Copilot settings reviewed by the Government Offices, nor does it say which staff can use the internal platform. Those details will determine how broadly employees can use AI tools under the new policy.
This story draws on original reporting from Decrypt.
