OpenAI says it will provide ChatGPT Plus for one year to every Maltese resident or citizen, tied to a course from the University of Malta and eligibility via an EU eID account. The program is set to begin this month, with Malta’s Digital Innovation Authority h
OpenAI is stepping into a new kind of partnership in the digital age: a one-year ChatGPT Plus offer for people in Malta.. The company framed the move as a world-first partnership of “this scale. ” saying it has signed other deals with fintech startups. major tech companies and even Disney. but this one is aimed directly at a countrywide rollout.
In a post on its website. OpenAI said it will provide ChatGPT Plus for one year to every Maltese resident or citizen.. Malta’s government is also putting its weight behind the program.. Silvio Schembri. Malta’s minister for Economy. Enterprise and Strategic Projects. said in a statement that the country is “the first country to launch a partnership of this scale because we refuse to let our citizens stay behind in the digital age. ” adding. “We are putting our people at the very forefront of global change.”
Getting access won’t be automatic, though.. For Malta’s approximately 574. 250 residents. OpenAI says they’ll need to complete a course developed by the University of Malta before they can launch the ChatGPT Plus subscription.. The course is designed to cover the basics of AI. but it also focuses on how to use the technology responsibly. whether people are using it at home or at work.. The subscription itself is priced at $20 a month in the US.
There’s another gate to clear: anyone interested in claiming the offer will need an active eID account from the European Union.. OpenAI says the first phase of the program will launch this month. with the Malta Digital Innovation Authority managing the distribution to eligible participants.. OpenAI also added that the program will scale up once more Maltese residents or its citizens abroad complete the course.
The story’s timing creates a sharp juxtaposition.. As OpenAI opens the Malta program tied to training and identity verification. it is also pausing its Stargate data center plans in the UK.. The project had been designed to help the UK build out AI infrastructure. but OpenAI attributed the stoppage to high energy costs and regulatory issues with the latest halt.
The pieces sit next to each other in a way that’s hard to ignore: OpenAI is linking Malta’s ChatGPT Plus rollout to a University of Malta course on responsible use and to EU eID eligibility. while at the same time stepping back from a UK infrastructure project that was intended to support AI capacity—citing high energy costs and regulatory issues.
OpenAI ChatGPT Plus Malta University of Malta Malta Digital Innovation Authority EU eID Stargate UK AI infrastructure