AI software company C3.ai (NYSE:AI) and software services firm CITI have been awarded a joint $90M, five-year contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The blanket purchase agreement will expedite enterprise AI deployments across the entire HHS. The agreement enables various HHS agencies and missions to select C3 AI (AI) solutions to support data-driven work. Specifically, it enables HHS officials to procure C3 AI applications, C3 AI's AI platform for data collection, analysis with machine learning, and predictive AI capabilities and CITI services. The BPA allows HHS officials to procure CITI services, C3 AI applications, and C3 AI's secure and powerful AI platform for data collection, analysis with machine learning, and predictive AI capabilities.

The U.S. Defense Department has a new office dedicated to advancing the use of AI throughout the military. Now the money from a $249 million blanket purchase agreement is starting to flow to several AI tech providers that also work with enterprises in other industries, including companies like Arthur that help monitor AI models to avoid bias and inaccuracy. Arthur's software tracks performance of AI models including computer vision and natural-language processing models. Arthur is among a burgeoning sector of companies providing software and services for auditing how machine-learning and AI models are built, and monitoring them for problems after they're in use. The company collected $15 million in series A funding in December 2020.