News for hackers. Stuff that matters.

A comment on OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all citizens.

Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by KnuthIsGod on Sunday May 17, 2026 @12:10AM (#48165982)
Malta is an important component of Russia's money laundering Laundromat system.

"Malta’s corruption is not just in the heart of government, it’s the entire body"

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/03/malta-...

[ Parent | on HN ]
[dead]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by jerrythegerbil on Sunday May 17, 2026 @12:34AM (#48166073)
Laundering of CC/Trial Accounts/Enterprise LLM inference is already a HUGE market, leveraged in part for distillation attacks on western AI.

A whole country’s worth of accounts just got access to a service we know is being laundered en masse and is also the same tech currently propping up many economies at the moment.

That same country is known for laundering other forms of liquidity. This is par for the course, not propaganda. And it’s going to be a huge problem by November.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by 9dev on Sunday May 17, 2026 @09:07AM (#48168600)
Funny how some people here mistake criticism for propaganda...
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by gmerc on Sunday May 17, 2026 @12:29AM (#48166060)
Thanks Ivan
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by bingaweek on Sunday May 17, 2026 @12:36AM (#48166076)
The overt hatred people here feel for Russians would make an antisemite blush. This is on the same level as calling random people Schlomo.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by ruszki on Sunday May 17, 2026 @01:35AM (#48166289)
Hay, my nickname means “Russian”. And my real country of origin - Hungary was also not ideal until recently. I’ve heard a single instance in the past 40 years, that any of these caused any hatred showed up. And it didn’t even happen to me.

It’s nowhere near what my brother got because he has a darker complexion, and looks like a stereotypical Arab from far away.

So, are you sure that this hatred against the common folks?

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by bestham on Sunday May 17, 2026 @12:50AM (#48166124)
I think you are mistaking hatred toward the Kremlin for hatred toward the Russian people.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by bakugo on Sunday May 17, 2026 @02:08AM (#48166420)
Please explain how calling random people stereotypical Russian names specifically represents hatred toward the Kremlin and not Russians in general.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by wqaatwt on Sunday May 17, 2026 @05:41AM (#48167422)
It’s only acceptable to make fun of countries like France or Britain etc. rather than developmentally challenged ones like Russia..
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by wiseowise on Sunday May 17, 2026 @03:29AM (#48166782)
> but what about Jews

Seriously? Is all that you’ve got?

Don’t want the hatred? Stop the biggest war in Europe since WW2, stop racketeering on a region level, stop acting victimized when there’s no one else to blame for your own actions and start finally working with other countries to build strong partnerships.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by pibaker on Sunday May 17, 2026 @02:33AM (#48166524)
I don't understand why you are being downvoted. If someone starts calling people Avi Goldstein in a thread about Israel I’m sure he'll get flagged to death in no time.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by wiseowise on Sunday May 17, 2026 @03:31AM (#48166797)
It’s a double standard, because riskies weren’t oppressed like Jews. So quit acting like a victim.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by wartywhoa23 on Sunday May 17, 2026 @05:55AM (#48167472)
You've got an error in Vladimir Vladimirovich.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by big-chungus4 on Sunday May 17, 2026 @02:31AM (#48166513)
This article is more than 6 years old
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by oliwarner on Sunday May 17, 2026 @03:59AM (#48166916)
Yup, and their Transparency International score has been getting worse since, with only a small improvement this year.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by monegator on Sunday May 17, 2026 @03:33AM (#48166808)
Malta is also where a lot of the fraudolent call centers are based
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by dgellow on Sunday May 17, 2026 @07:40AM (#48168003)
I think “route through” might be more appropriate
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by monegator on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @05:57PM (#48200220)
Based is appropriate, some months ago a couple of ex employees were interviewed and they were working on malta offering crypto scams. They had precise instructions on which nationalities they were forbidden to scam.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by flawn on Sunday May 17, 2026 @02:50AM (#48166608)
Corruption is like cancer.
[ Parent | on HN ]
[dead]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by lossyalgo on Sunday May 17, 2026 @06:14AM (#48167574)
Since the article is about Malta, the discussions here should be centered on Malta. Sure, everyone knows the US is corrupt as f*** but what relevance does that have here and now? There are plenty of other places on HN to bring up this "argument".
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by panflute on Sunday May 17, 2026 @06:59AM (#48167795)
What was notable about Malta is not the topic of the article and particularly irrelevant now that corruption in Malta that helps Russia would not be notable.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by maltesegirl on Sunday May 17, 2026 @06:46AM (#48167734)
The problem is that while the US and UK are well known countries with lots of press coverage, Malta isn't, so when you link one article in a foreign publication you are getting a highly distorted and politically charged view of a country you otherwise know nothing about.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by ashirviskas on Sunday May 17, 2026 @07:16AM (#48167870)
And what should we do about it? Only allow comments about top X world countries?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by kakacik on Sunday May 17, 2026 @06:26AM (#48167649)
US is becoming like russia, what a twist. Well, could be worse. Free democratic world will have to align around another leader, I hope it can be Europe but its far from sure.

The bad part is, this is not magically gonna disappear with next election, whoever wins. Literally whoever wins. Just like even decades after 9/11 many things have changed permanently, it will be similar with this. Proposers of some radical changes can be easily shot again, potus or not, or have some other variant of discrediting applied.

I wish I was joking, this is how majority of the world operates. Its very easy for those in power to drag their countries into this, out or weakness or convenience, but extremely hard to fully get out.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by euejcidnf on Sunday May 17, 2026 @07:17AM (#48167876)
Europe is far more doomed, the US at least has upsides. Europe has a downward trend, the Muslim are taking over and it's not doing anything remotely good, there is just no hope or future . Only beautiful historical architecture and beautiful nature and climate.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by maltesegirl on Sunday May 17, 2026 @06:21AM (#48167619)
This article gives a distorted view of my country. We have a largely normal government with normal levels of corruption. You can compare Malta to a municipality in a big country. I have lived in many north western European countries and at the municipal level I personally witnessed the same levels of corruption, that in my native Malta would be considered the biggest scandal of the year. It's all a matter of framing, propaganda and geopolitics.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by AlecSchueler on Sunday May 17, 2026 @07:38AM (#48167987)
> in many north western European countries and at the municipal level I personally witnessed the same levels of corruption, that in my native Malta would be considered the biggest scandal of the year.

Could you give examples of a few of these to illustrate the kind of thing we're talking about? It currently feels a bit hand wavy from both sides.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by maltesegirl on Sunday May 17, 2026 @08:01AM (#48168148)
Most corruption that I have been witness to, both in Malta and abroad falls into two categories: nepotism and procurement/tenders. Both of these are extremely common to the point that most don't even consider them corruption. For context, I work in academia, so I am sort of by proxy employed with local/federal governments and am therefore privy to how procurement deals are made. There is nothing that happens in Malta that doesn't also happen in Germany or in any other country I have worked in. If anything in Malta someone is always going to cry foul, whereas if you're witnessing corruption at the municipal or state level in Germany, it mostly flies under the radar.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by sevg on Sunday May 17, 2026 @08:28AM (#48168318)
Yeah, just casually murdering journalists is totally normal.

Your username and comment history suggests it might not be wise to take your word as objective truth.

[ Parent | on HN ]
[dead]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by saagarjha on Sunday May 17, 2026 @09:53AM (#48168933)
I am sympathetic to your desire to defend your country, which has many good things about it as well I am sure. But using Hacker News for solely this purpose is against the rules, so don't do that.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by sevg on Sunday May 17, 2026 @09:41AM (#48168847)
Try harder, sock puppet account :)
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by AlecSchueler on Monday May 18, 2026 @03:07AM (#48176358)
I understand what you mean by "corruption," but could you give examples? Of something ignored in Northern Europe that would be a scandal in Malta?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by zwaps on Sunday May 17, 2026 @07:31AM (#48167951)
Well the business model of Malta is being a tax evasion haven and access port for oligarchs.

That’s quite a difference to most other European countries, although not all.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by maltesegirl on Sunday May 17, 2026 @08:09AM (#48168200)
?? London, Paris, Berlin ??

That’s quite a difference to most other European countries

The difference being that you personally are not prejudiced against them for no other reason than your ignorance and arrogance.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by 9dev on Sunday May 17, 2026 @09:06AM (#48168593)
Respectfully, in the best case you don't really know what you are talking about. These three cities certainly cannot be categorised as tax havens in any sense of the word, and the local legislation is objectively different - as evident to anyone comparing it.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by michelb on Sunday May 17, 2026 @08:45AM (#48168432)
It's also the ideal country to have your gambling company incorporated.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by LtWorf on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @05:18AM (#48191087)
Do you think blowing up journalists is "normal levels of corruption"?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by olyjohn on Tuesday May 19, 2026 @11:35PM (#48202810)
I feel like this year is re-defining "normal levels of corruption."
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by Panoramix on Sunday May 17, 2026 @08:21AM (#48168273)
What does that have to do with ChatGPT?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:OpenAI and Malta partner to bring ChatGPT Plus to all cit... by huijzer on Sunday May 17, 2026 @11:21AM (#48169735)
You didn’t even mention the Knights of Malta yet. They claim to care for the poor, but Prince Bernhard also within a year of signing up ordered naked girls for an evening which caused his secretary, J. Thomassen, in march 1950 to quit. Other Knights of Malta were other Dutch royals, 3 FBI directors, and the father of JFK.
[ Parent | on HN ]