Malta Steps Up AI Ambitions as 23,000 Complete Government Training

Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced that 23,000 people have now completed the Government’s ‘AI For All’ training programme and around 40,000 have registered in total. As a reminder, following the global first agreement between the Malta Government, OpenAI, and Microsoft, participants who complete the course receive a free ChatGPT licence for one year, adding a practical incentive to the initiative’s rapid uptake.

The training programme sits within a broader €100 million government investment in AI and Malta’s digital infrastructure, aimed at positioning the country to capture the economic upside of fast-moving developments in the technology. Malta’s first national AI strategy was launched seven years ago, and an updated version is now in the works to keep pace with how quickly the sector continues to evolve.

The initiative comes as Malta looks to shift its economy further towards higher-value industries with sectors including MedTech, alternative energy, and advanced industries currently attracting fresh investment. 

For Malta’s businesses, the scale of AI uptake points to a workforce increasingly equipped with practical AI skills, backed by continued state investment in the digital infrastructure needed to put those skills to use. Prime Minister Robert Abela, speaking at the State of the Nation conference where the figures were announced, said the ambition is for Malta to become “the most AI-friendly country in Europe.”