Malta to Give Every Citizen Free ChatGPT Plus in World-First OpenAI Deal

Malta will give every citizen who completes a national AI literacy course a free year of ChatGPT Plus, in what OpenAI and the Maltese government describe as a world-first partnership of this scale between the company and a national government.

The programme, announced today, operates under Malta's existing "AI for All" initiative and folds two components into a single national rollout: a course developed by the University of Malta that teaches what AI is, what it can and cannot do, and how to use it responsibly at home and at work, followed by twelve months of access to ChatGPT Plus at no cost to the participant. The Malta Digital Innovation Authority will manage distribution to eligible participants when the first phase launches in May. The programme will then scale as more Maltese residents and citizens abroad complete the course.

A literacy-first model, not just free software

The structure matters as much as the giveaway. Citizens do not simply receive a subscription; they receive it after completing coursework designed by their national university. Malta's "AI for All" initiative will offer people of all backgrounds the opportunity to learn how AI can be used responsibly, according to the announcement, and the course is built to help people understand both the capabilities and the limits of the technology.

That framing aligns with OpenAI's own stated ambition. "At OpenAI, we're turning intelligence into a global utility," the company said in its announcement. "We believe that, like electricity, intelligence should be available for people, businesses, and institutions to use as much as they need, where and when they need it." The company added that the vision "only matters if people can actually use these tools in ways that improve their own lives and communities."

For Malta, a small EU member state with a population of roughly half a million, the programme represents a bet that broad AI literacy can be delivered nationally in a way that larger economies have not yet attempted. The government has framed the deal explicitly as a matter of digital inclusion.

"Through this AI for everyone course we are making sure that every citizen, regardless of their background, has the chance to build the confidence and skills needed to thrive in a digital world," said Silvio Schembri, Malta's Minister for Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects. "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. 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. We are putting our people at the very forefront of global change."

OpenAI's government playbook expands

The Malta deal is the latest project under OpenAI for Countries, the company's initiative to support governments and institutions moving from early AI interest to what OpenAI calls strategic national adoption. The programme is deliberately not uniform: OpenAI says it is built around local priorities, whether that means education, workforce training, public services, startup support, or AI literacy.

George Osborne, the former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer who now serves as Head of OpenAI for Countries, positioned the Malta agreement as a template other governments could copy.

"With this partnership, Malta is leading Europe and the world in bringing AI to all its citizens," Osborne said. "Intelligence is becoming a national utility and all governments have an important role to play in making sure their populations have both the access and the skills to make the most of AI. So I congratulate the Maltese authorities for their vision and ambition on behalf of their people. This is exactly the kind of strategic initiative that will speed AI adoption and bring the benefits of this transformative technology to the economy and the everyday lives of people. Where Malta leads, I hope others will follow."

OpenAI is already working with governments in countries like Estonia and Greece to support their national education systems, the company said. The Malta partnership is described as tailored to the country's needs and national AI priorities, combining a locally designed course, a clear route to ChatGPT Plus access, and a national programme intended to help citizens use AI with confidence in ways that support learning, work, creativity, and public participation.

Why it matters

The deal gives OpenAI a national-scale proof point for its argument that access to AI tools should be treated like access to electricity — a utility distributed as broadly as possible rather than a premium product for those who can afford it. It also gives the company a government-anchored distribution channel in an EU member state at a moment when European policymakers are actively debating how AI adoption should be governed, taught, and paid for.

For Malta, the programme converts a familiar policy anxiety — that citizens will be left behind by rapid technological change — into a concrete mechanism: train first, then equip. The government's stated goal is practical assistance for families, students, and workers, not abstract digital strategy.

The economics of the arrangement were not disclosed. OpenAI did not say how the cost of a year of ChatGPT Plus per citizen will be shared between the company and the Maltese government, nor did it publish a target number of participants for the May launch phase.

What happens next

The first phase begins in May, with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority handling eligibility and distribution. Scaling depends on uptake: the programme grows as more Maltese residents and citizens abroad complete the University of Malta course. If Osborne's closing line is any indication of OpenAI's intent — "Where Malta leads, I hope others will follow" — the company will use Malta as the reference case when it pitches similar nationwide access-plus-literacy deals to other governments.