The Government of Malta and OpenAI have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at widespread digital transformation of the country. As part of the “AI for All” initiative, every citizen of Malta will have the opportunity to access a free one-year subscription to the paid version of ChatGPT Plus. The condition for obtaining a license is the completion of a specialized AI literacy course prepared by the University of Malta.
The project focuses on demystifying artificial intelligence and its practical use in everyday life. The educational program aims to teach participants how to use the technology responsibly and explain its current capabilities and limitations. The first phase of the program will kick off in May this year under the auspices of the Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA), which will be responsible for distributing licenses to eligible residents of the island and Maltese citizens living abroad.
“We are ensuring that every citizen, regardless of their education, has the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to thrive in the digital world. By combining education with free access to advanced tools, we are transforming an unknown concept into practical help for families, students, and workers,” said Silvio Schembri, Malta’s Minister for the Economy, Enterprise and Strategic Projects.
With this initiative, Malta becomes the first country in the world to approach the distribution of AI tools on such a massive scale. OpenAI views this partnership as part of its broader OpenAI for Countries strategy, through which it works with governments on national implementation of technologies. Similar projects, focused mainly on educational systems, are already being implemented by the company in Estonia and Greece, but the Maltese model is unique in its focus on the entire population.
“Intelligence is becoming a national public utility, and governments have a role in ensuring access and skills to use it. Malta is leading Europe and the world in how to bring AI to all its citizens,” added George Osborne, Head of OpenAI for Countries.
The initiative reflects OpenAI's efforts to promote artificial intelligence as an accessible service similar to public utilities. The model for Malta is based on local priorities and is not a universal template; the program combines local academic resources with technological infrastructure from Silicon Valley. The success of the project, according to representatives of both sides, will be a benchmark for other countries considering strategic investments in the AI literacy of their population.