AI for the public sector: Why FedRAMP authorization for Cortex AI is a game changer

The imperative for government agencies to adopt artificial intelligence is clearer than ever. AI promises to revolutionize everything from fraud detection and resource allocation to citizen services. However, the sensitive nature of public sector data means that AI adoption must meet the high standards for security and trust.

We’re thrilled to announce a significant milestone on this journey: Snowflake Cortex AI, our suite of AI tools, has achieved FedRAMP Moderate authorization on AWS Region US East (N. Virginia).

This critical achievement means that U.S. federal agencies already operating within this secure, authorized environment can immediately unlock and safely apply cutting-edge generative AI capabilities to their mission-critical data. Specifically, this authorization includes Snowflake Cortex Search, Cortex Analyst and Cortex Agents — powerful features that help teams build intelligent, data-driven applications.

Bridging the gap between data and intelligence

Federal agencies consistently face a triad of challenges: vast amounts of siloed data, the urgent need for operational efficiency and stringent data security requirements. Historically, adopting and applying state-of-the-art AI to this secure data required complex, time-consuming and costly integration work.

The FedRAMP Moderate authorization for Cortex AI changes that equation.

It integrates seamlessly into existing, authorized Snowflake AI Data Cloud environments on AWS Region US East (N. Virginia), providing a secure, governed pathway to leverage AI models without moving data or compromising security.

As Jennifer Chronis, Vice President of U.S. Public Sector at Snowflake, notes, “This critical compliance milestone allows government agencies to adopt cutting-edge, secure generative AI capabilities while maintaining the trust and data governance required for their vital missions.”

What this means for federal missions

This authorization isn’t just a badge of compliance; it is an accelerator for mission outcomes. By integrating Cortex AI, federal users will have access to industry-leading large language models (LLMs) and the tools to build their own AI agents, securely and at scale.

Here’s how the newly authorized Cortex AI features empower public sector customers.

Security and compliance: Governing AI output on sensitive data

Moving sensitive data out of a compliant environment to specialized AI/GPU services introduces risks and complexity. Now, Snowflake brings the full power of Cortex AI features — Cortex Search, Cortex Analyst and Cortex Agents — inside a FedRAMP Moderate environment.

Agencies can now securely analyze massive volumes of both structured and unstructured data — from situational reports to complex procurement records — eliminating the risk of moving regulated data. The result is governed, auditable and compliant AI output, which is nonnegotiable for federal missions.

Productivity and accessibility: Getting insights faster

The new capabilities dramatically lower the barrier to insight for every user, regardless of their technical expertise.

Cortex Analyst lets nontechnical users, like program managers, ask questions in plain language and get answers directly from complex, structured enterprise data — no SQL required.

Cortex Search lets staff query across vast archives of documents, policies and procedural guides using natural language, enabling fast discovery and better cross-functional alignment capable of driving improvements to constituent services or internal knowledge bases.

AI development and scale: Building sophisticated agents

For data scientists and AI developers, this launch delivers a fully managed, scalable infrastructure for building sophisticated, multistep AI data agents.

Cortex Agents act as the “brain,” coordinating Cortex Search and Cortex Analyst to answer complex, multipart business questions spanning dashboards, tables and documents.

By leveraging AI in place, teams can move faster from planning to deployment, drastically accelerating data modernization timelines and helping to ensure agencies can meet their mandates with efficiency.

Our ongoing commitment to trust and transformation

Achieving FedRAMP Moderate authorization for Cortex AI on AWS Region US East (N. Virginia) is part of Snowflake’s broader commitment to meeting the rigorous compliance standards the public sector demands. Whether it’s powering systems that combat fraud, modernizing complex financial management systems or improving program integrity, our goal is to support the government in achieving its full potential with data and AI.

We are proud to provide the tools that help public servants better serve the American people.

To learn more about how the Snowflake AI Data Cloud is powering data-driven decision-making for government and education, visit our website.