OpenAI just shook hands with a national government. It’s Malta. Starting now, residents get free access to ChatGPT Plus. No credit card required.
It lasts one year.
The catch is education. You have to take a course. It’s called AI for All, built by the University of Malta. You finish it. Then you apply through the national digital ID system. The goal isn’t just handing out tools. It’s about literacy. Understanding what the tech can do. And what it can’t.
The Malta Digital Innovation Authority handles the logistics. They’ll manage the subscriptions. The program expands as more people finish the coursework. Phase one kicks off in May.
Silvio Schembri, the minister in charge of economic strategy, framed it as practical assistance.
“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.”
This is the first deal of its kind. At least for OpenAI. George Osborne, who leads their government initiatives, called it a move to empower citizens. He mentioned local priorities. A nice choice of words.
Governments are getting cozy with AI vendors. It’s a trend.
Iceland gave teachers free access to Anthropic’s Claude last year. Claude helps with lesson plans and admin work. Greece signed with OpenAI in September 2025. Their focus is secondary schools and start-ups. The UK went with Anthropic in February 2025. They want to improve how citizens navigate government services online.
Malta is just the first to hand out the premium chatbot to everyone.
It’s an experiment. Will people actually use it? Or will they just ask it to write emails they should write themselves?
We’ll see.
