OpenAI and Malta: ChatGPT Plus Free for All Residents

OpenAI has reached an innovative agreement with the government of Malta, allowing all residents of the country to access ChatGPT Plus for free for an entire year. This unprecedented initiative on a global scale requires participants to complete an artificial intelligence course offered by the University of Malta.

A Pioneering Partnership Between OpenAI and Malta

Malta thus becomes the first country to offer widespread access to a paid version of ChatGPT, thanks to a partnership with OpenAI. No other government has negotiated such access for its entire population until now.

A Prerequisite Training for Free Access

The program, titled "AI for All," requires residents to go through the Maltese digital identity system. This official account, linked to the state, allows users to take the University of Malta's course for free. The course covers the basics of artificial intelligence, its applications, its limitations, and its responsible use in both professional and personal life.

After completing this training, participants receive twelve months of free access to ChatGPT Plus. This offer is also available to Maltese citizens living abroad. The Malta Digital Innovation Authority, the public agency responsible for regulating emerging technologies, oversees the distribution of this access.

A Potentially High but Undisclosed Cost

The subscription to ChatGPT Plus is normally charged at $20 per month. If all 540,000 residents of Malta participated in the program, the total cost would reach approximately $130 million. However, the financial details of the agreement have not been made public. Silvio Schembri, Malta's Minister of the Economy, expressed his desire to transform AI into a concrete tool for families, students, and workers in the country.

The "OpenAI for Countries" Program

This partnership is part of the "OpenAI for Countries" program, which aims to help governments integrate AI into their services, with budgets co-financed by OpenAI and partner states. George Osborne, who oversees this program at OpenAI, stated that he wants to make artificial intelligence a national public utility service while promoting ChatGPT.

For OpenAI, subscriptions to ChatGPT Plus constitute the main source of public revenue. In light of a slowdown in growth, these government agreements aim to broaden access to AI, particularly for those who might not have spontaneously subscribed. Malta, with its modest size and centralized government system, represents an ideal testing ground. The country had already been among the first to legally regulate blockchain and cryptocurrencies.