OpenAI launches OpenAI for Countries to promote democratic AI worldwide
The project, called OpenAI for Countries, offers countries the chance to develop localised versions of ChatGPT, focusing on sectors like health care and education, while retaining local control over data and tailoring AI systems to national needs.
OpenAI has unveiled a new global initiative aimed at helping governments build national AI infrastructure rooted in democratic values. The project, called OpenAI for Countries, offers countries the chance to develop localised versions of ChatGPT, focusing on sectors like health care and education, while retaining local control over data and tailoring AI systems to national needs.
The move is part of a broader strategy to expand OpenAI’s international presence. As OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane explained, the initiative seeks to create ‘pathways so that a large portion of the world is building on democratic AI’ at a pivotal time in the global AI race.
Participating governments will co-invest in infrastructure, an extension of the previously announced Project Stargate, developed with Oracle and SoftBank. Countries will also be invited to support local innovation through national AI startup funds. OpenAI says it will work closely with US authorities to determine where its technologies can be deployed, ensuring alignment with export control policies.
This initiative matters for digital standards because it brings the debate on values-based AI into practical implementation. It introduces a model of AI deployment that promotes transparency, data sovereignty, and ethical customisation, rather than imposing one-size-fits-all systems. By enabling countries to tailor models to specific contexts, OpenAI is effectively advocating for interoperable but value-aligned digital infrastructures.
For civil society, the implications are significant. The emphasis on preserving individual freedoms and preventing AI from being used for authoritarian control reflects growing concerns about surveillance and misuse. OpenAI’s proposal to seed local AI ecosystems could support civic innovation, public service delivery, and data governance models that serve citizens, but it also raises questions. Not all countries agree on what ‘democratic AI’ entails, and how much control OpenAI is willing to cede remains to be seen.
Whether OpenAI for Countries will set a global standard — or spark further geopolitical divides — will depend on how these partnerships unfold in practice.
