OpenAI offers US veterans free year of its ChatGPT Plus service

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a talk session with SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son at an event titled "Transforming Business through AI" in Tokyo, Japan, on February 03, 2025. Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

OpenAI announced on Monday that it is launching a new initiative to provide some transitioning servicemembers with 12 months of free access to its subscription-based chatbot.

The program, unveiled the day before Veterans Day, will enable U.S. soldiers returning to civilian life to receive one year of ChatGPT Plus “if they’re within 12 months of retirement or separation,” the company said. The plan typically costs $20 per month.

Katrina Mulligan, OpenAI for Government’s head of national security partnerships, told reporters during a Friday press call that the plan was guided by the experiences of the company’s veteran employees and would provide transitioning and retired servicemembers with access to the chatbot’s latest ...