OpenAI Partners With Malta To Provide Free ChatGPT Plus Access For One Year

OpenAI has announced a national partnership with the government of Malta to provide free access to ChatGPT Plus for one year to Maltese citizens and residents, with the programme described as the “world’s first partnership” between OpenAI and a national government.

“OpenAI partners with Malta to give all citizens free ChatGPT Plus access In a world-first deal, OpenAI and Malta will give all citizens free ChatGPT Plus for a year after they complete a government-backed AI literacy course”

Cointelegraph

The initiative will begin in phases, with eligible participants required to complete a training course before activating the subscription, and OpenAI said the first stage of the rollout is scheduled to begin this month.

Cointelegraph

Silvio Schembri, Malta’s Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects, said in a statement, “Malta is the first country to launch a partnership of this scale because we refuse to let our citizens stay behind in the digital age,” and added, “We are putting our people at the very forefront of global change.”

OpenAI said subscription distribution will be managed by the Malta Digital Innovation Authority, which will oversee access for eligible residents and citizens, and applicants will also need an active electronic identity account issued in the European Union to claim the subscription.

OpenAI said the programme’s training will be delivered through an artificial intelligence course created by the University of Malta, and the course is designed to introduce participants to the basics of AI technology and explain how such tools can be used responsibly in professional and personal settings.

Euronews reported that citizens and residents registered with Malta’s online identity system can apply to get access to ChatGPT Plus after completing a free online course called AI for All, developed by the University of Malta.

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Euronews also quoted Schembri saying, “By pairing this education with free access to the most advanced digital tools available today, we are turning an unfamiliar concept into practical assistance for our families, students, and workers,” linking the education requirement to the free subscription.

OpenAI said access would initially be limited as the programme begins, before expanding over time as more residents and Maltese citizens living abroad complete the required course, and the Malta Digital Innovation Authority will manage access to the free subscriptions as the programme grows.

The Malta deal is framed as part of OpenAI’s broader OpenAI for Countries initiative, through which the company works with governments to move from early AI interest to national-level adoption, and Cointelegraph said the programme is tailored to each country’s priorities including education, workforce training and public services.

“OpenAI is offering ChatGPT Plus to citizens of Malta for a year OpenAI has signed deals with fintech startups, tech giants and even Disney, but it's breaking new ground by announcing a "world's first partnership" with the country of Malta”

Engadget

Cointelegraph reported that OpenAI has also launched “OpenAI for Greece” in partnership with the Greek government and partnered with Estonia’s government to provide all secondary school students and teachers with access to ChatGPT Edu.

While Malta’s programme is set to launch in May, Tech Edition said OpenAI has reportedly paused progress on its Stargate data centre project in the United Kingdom, with reports attributing the stoppage to high energy costs and regulatory concerns.

Tech Edition added that building and operating AI data centres requires significant electricity resources, making operating costs an important factor in investment decisions, and it described the Malta programme as a different approach from OpenAI’s previous commercial agreements by focusing on public access and digital education at a national level.