OpenAI proposed free premium ChatGPT for UK, but there’s snag
OpenAI offered the UK to give all residents premium access to ChatGPT (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
The head of OpenAI and the UK government discussed providing ChatGPT Plus access to the entire country. The deal could have cost £2 billion, according to The Guardian.
The idea emerged during a meeting between the UK’s Minister of Technology, Peter Kyle, and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman in San Francisco.
The deal was not signed due to the high cost of providing ChatGPT Plus access - around £2 billion.
OpenAI offers both free and subscription versions of ChatGPT. The paid version costs $20 per month and provides users with faster response times and priority access to new features.
In July, Peter Kyle signed an agreement with OpenAI to use artificial intelligence in UK government services. This could give OpenAI access to government data and lead to the use of its software in education, defense, security, and the justice system.
Peter Kyle has been an active advocate for artificial intelligence within the government and has also approved its use in his own role. In March, it was reported that he consulted ChatGPT for advice on why British companies are not adopting AI and which podcasts he should appear on.
The UK is one of OpenAI’s top five markets for paid ChatGPT subscriptions.
In recent months, the company has been negotiating with several governments and reached a deal with the United Arab Emirates to deploy ChatGPT nationwide and use the technology in the public sector, including transport, healthcare, and education.
In early August, OpenAI officially released its new flagship language model, GPT-5, which is now available to ChatGPT users and developers via API. According to the company’s CEO, Sam Altman, GPT-5 is a significant breakthrough compared to previous generations: it has higher accuracy, responds faster, and makes fewer errors.
