Malta and OpenAI Offer One Year of ChatGPT Plus

Malta and OpenAI announced a partnership to provide every Maltese citizen one year of free ChatGPT Plus after completing a government-backed AI literacy course. OpenAI revealed the plan on Saturday and the first distribution phase will begin this month.

The University of Malta developed the online course, which explains what artificial intelligence is, what it can and cannot do, and how to use it responsibly at home and in the workplace.

The Malta Digital Innovation Authority will manage distribution. Access will be issued to eligible participants as they finish the course, with the program expanding to include more residents and Maltese citizens living abroad who complete the training.

The agreement was arranged through a national program that adapts OpenAI’s tools to public priorities such as education, workforce training and public services. Under the deal, the University of Malta created the curriculum that participants must complete to qualify for the one-year ChatGPT Plus subscription.

Silvio Schembri, Malta’s minister for economy, enterprise and strategic projects, described the initiative as a measure to keep citizens current in the digital age: “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.” He added the effort is intended to make AI practical for families, students and workers.

OpenAI framed the program as part of its OpenAI for Countries initiative, which works with governments on national adoption of AI tools for areas such as schools, workforce development and public services. The company has previously partnered with Estonia to provide ChatGPT Edu to secondary students and teachers and has launched programs in other countries. OpenAI has also made agreements to deploy its models on more secure government networks, including work with defense agencies.

The government requires completion of the literacy course before issuing the subscription. Officials described the phased rollout as combining public training with direct access to AI tools so citizens can apply what they learn in daily tasks and at work.