20,000 veterans claim free year of ChatGPT Plus

The free-access program grew out of work by veterans employed at OpenAI, who the company says know firsthand how challenging the transition to civilian life can be. That internal origin helps explain the shape of the effort: beyond the free year of ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI Academy and community partners have run more than a dozen trainings for nearly 1,000 members of the military community, and seven more are scheduled before the year ends.

The company describes the trainings as a place for veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and military spouses to learn alongside people who understand what they are going through. A first six-event Academy series with Veterans Forge, together with workshops alongside AI Collective Hampton Roads and NPower, is described as shaping what OpenAI offers veterans next. At a workshop in Reston, Virginia, nearly 100 veterans and active-duty servicemembers took part, and in Louisville, Kentucky, more than 80 Legionnaires attended three AI training sessions at the American Legion's national convention.

OpenAI frames the milestone around Veterans Day and says its goal is to help veterans and military families carry skills built in service into whatever work they choose next. The company also thanked ID.me for helping servicemembers and veterans access the free-year offer, and its community partners for making the events possible.