Malta has emerged as the first nation in the world that would provide its citizens and residents free access to the ChatGPT Plus program from OpenAI, which usually is an expensive premium version of the software.
According to the collaboration that was revealed on Monday, all citizens of Malta and residents aged 14 years and older will receive free access to ChatGPT Plus for one year following a brief digital literacy program provided by the University of Malta.
The programme will also extend to Maltese citizens living abroad, making it one of the broadest state-backed public AI access initiatives launched so far. ChatGPT Plus typically costs $20 per month in the United States.
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AI literacy becomes national policy
The initiative is expected to begin rolling out later this month, with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority overseeing access distribution and implementation.
According to OpenAI, the course is designed to help citizens understand what artificial intelligence can and cannot do, while also teaching responsible and practical everyday use.
Economy Minister Silvio Schembri described the partnership as an attempt to turn AI from an unfamiliar concept into something directly useful for ordinary people.
Malta bets big on AI literacy with nationwide ChatGPT Plus rollout AI Generated “We are turning an unfamiliar concept into practical assistance for our families, students, and workers,” Schembri said while announcing the initiative.
Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, who reportedly helped secure the agreement during meetings in Silicon Valley, said the government wanted to ensure that “no one is left behind” as AI adoption accelerates globally.
Malta positions itself as an AI-first nation
The deal showcases the trend of increasing competition among governments worldwide towards introducing artificial intelligence in sectors like education, jobs, and public service systems. According to OpenAI’s Head of Countries, George Osborne, this move from Malta was a world-first and applauded Malta’s efforts towards embracing digitalisation.
“Malta is leading Europe and the world in bringing AI to all its citizens,” Osborne said. This agreement shows how smaller nations are also using technology cooperation to promote themselves as innovation centers despite small populations.
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Considering that Malta only has a population of slightly over 574,000, its new agreement can serve as a case study of how other governments can eventually introduce their population to AI in tandem with mandatory digitalisation training.
While other nations are busy deciding on regulation, safety, and AI readiness, Malta decided to take a different path of offering premium artificial intelligence services to its residents.
