OpenAI and the Maltese government have announced a world-first partnership to roll out ChatGPT Plus to all Maltese citizens, marking the first time a government has struck such a deal with the AI company.
Under the programme, citizens who complete a government-backed AI literacy course will receive free access to ChatGPT Plus for one year, OpenAI announced on Saturday. The course, developed by the University of Malta, covers what AI is, what it can and cannot do and how to use it responsibly at home and in the workplace.
“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,” Maltese minister for economy, enterprise and strategic projects Silvio Schembri said, adding that the goal is to turn AI “from an unfamiliar concept into practical assistance for our families, students, and workers.”
The Malta Digital Innovation Authority will manage distribution to eligible participants when the first phase launches this month, with the programme set to expand as more residents and citizens abroad complete the course.
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OpenAI partners with governments worldwide
The deal is the latest under OpenAI’s broader OpenAI for Countries initiative, through which the company works with governments to move from early AI interest to national-level adoption. Unlike a standardised model, the programme is tailored to each country’s priorities, including areas like education, workforce training and public services.
Last year, OpenAI partnered with Estonia’s government to provide all secondary school students and teachers with access to ChatGPT Edu, a customized version of ChatGPT built for education systems. The firm has also launched “OpenAI for Greece” in partnership with the Greek government.
As Cointelegraph reported, OpenAI has also struck a deal with the US Department of Defense to deploy its AI models on classified military networks.
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