ChatGPT Plus may soon be free for everyone in UK
What's the story
Peter Kyle, the UK's Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, has reportedly held talks with OpenAI about making ChatGPT Plus available to all UK residents. If this deal goes through, it would be one of the first of its kind for OpenAI. Earlier this year, some reports claimed that the UAE was also giving free ChatGPT Plus access to all residents.
Subscription benefits
What is ChatGPT Plus?
ChatGPT Plus is a premium tier of the AI service that costs $20 per month. It provides several benefits like priority access, higher usage limits on the latest AI models, image generation capabilities, file analysis, and the ability to create custom bots (known as GPTs). The free version of ChatGPT is available to all internet users without an account.
Past partnerships
UK government already using OpenAI's tech
The UK government has already signed deals with OpenAI, giving access to the underlying API for creating custom bots for businesses and civil servants. In January, they announced plans for a secure digital wallet system with driver licenses and other approved identity documents in partnership with OpenAI. A key part of this collaboration was developing a chatbot for the GOV.UK web portal and mobile app.
Global efforts
Free ChatGPT access in North America
OpenAI has already offered free ChatGPT access to students in the US and Canada for two months this year. Earlier this month, it launched ChatGPT Go, a new subscription tier for Indian users costing ₹399 (about $4.5) per month with some core ChatGPT Plus benefits. Google also offers its Gemini Pro ($20/month) for free to students in several countries and bundles it with purchases of its smartphones like Pixel 10 series.