Greece inks OpenAI deal, first to deploy ChatGPT Edu for schools and startups

Greece adopts ChatGPT Edu for schools and backs startups with OpenAI tools

Greece has agreed a deal with OpenAI to make AI tools available across secondary education and to support small businesses. The agreement includes access for startups in healthcare, climate change and education, along with project support. Greece is also set to be the first country to integrate a specialised version of ChatGPT known as ChatGPT Edu.

Announced in May 2024, ChatGPT Edu can reason across text and images, run data analysis, interpret documents, write code, browse the web, and summarise content. OpenAI says it is built for education settings with advanced capabilities and admin controls.

What this means for schools

According to Vassilis Koutsoumpas, digital policy and AI adviser to the Greek prime minister, the deal will let teachers and students "meaningfully integrate AI into classrooms," supporting a learning environment where every child can thrive. The focus is equitable access and practical classroom value.

• Create AI-assisted lesson plans, quizzes, and feedback loops.
• Use data analysis for student progress insights while keeping clear guardrails.
• Introduce coding, research support, and document summarisation to raise digital fluency.

What this means for startups and small businesses

Greek startups will get access to OpenAI's technology and support-useful for building products in health, climate, and education. Expect faster prototyping, better automation, and improved customer support workflows.

• Use ChatGPT Edu-like tools for research, market analysis, and document drafting.
• Prototype assistants for patient triage, climate data insights, or tutoring.
• Document policies for data use, bias testing, and model oversight from day one.

Signals from government and industry

OpenAI's Chris Lehane said the move reflects Greece's dedication to learning and ideas, noting that millions of Greeks already use ChatGPT. Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis joined the announcement alongside Anthony S. Papadimitriou of the Onassis Foundation, underscoring cross-sector support.

Koutsoumpas said the goal is to build a more resilient, technologically confident national hub-and to ensure every citizen benefits from the "tech dividend" in daily life.

Global context: public-sector AI partnerships

In August, OpenAI made its frontier models available to the US General Services Administration for one year at a cost of US$1, framing it as a practical step to put AI directly in the hands of public servants. The firm also discussed premium access for the UK, though reports say costs around £2bn meant it did not progress.

Ireland's new AI office and the EU AI Act

Ireland has launched the National Artificial Intelligence Office (NAIO) to position the country as a European leader in AI. The office will coordinate implementation of the EU AI Act across agencies and industry. For context on the law and upcoming requirements, see the European Commission's overview of the EU AI Act.

Practical steps for educators, public leaders, and SMEs

• Set clear use policies: define allowed use cases, privacy rules, and data retention.
• Pilot quickly: start with small, high-impact tasks-summaries, lesson prep, policy drafts.
• Design for equity: offer teacher training and student access plans to avoid digital gaps.
• Measure outcomes: track time saved, learning gains, and service-quality improvements.
• Plan compliance: map AI use to EU AI Act risk categories and review procurement language.

Where to build skills next

If you are planning classroom pilots or public-sector deployments, curated training can shorten the learning curve. Browse role-based options at Complete AI Training: Courses by job or see guidance specific to ChatGPT at ChatGPT resources.

Bottom line

Greece is moving AI from idea to implementation: classroom access, startup support, and national coordination. The next milestone is disciplined delivery-policies, training, and metrics that show real value for students, citizens, and the economy.