Tech Explained: Here’s a simplified explanation of the latest technology update around Tech Explained: George Osborne outlines OpenAI’s global AI education push in Simple Termsand what it means for users..
OpenAI is expanding its OpenAI for Countries initiative with new government-focused programs in education, AI skills training, and public services, as former UK Chancellor George Osborne warned that uneven AI adoption risks deepening economic and technological divides between countries.
The expansion was outlined following discussions with governments at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where OpenAI positioned education and workforce readiness as central to closing what it describes as a growing “capability overhang.”
Osborne, now Head of OpenAI for Countries, reflected on the discussions in a LinkedIn post following the event, where he wrote that governments were “actively looking for ways to partner with us so its benefits reach more of their people.”
He added that while enthusiasm for AI was high, Davos also surfaced “the emergence of a new challenge: a growing capability overhang between how some countries are making great use this new technology and how others are not.”
OpenAI links education and skills to closing the capability gap
According to OpenAI’s January 2026 report Ending the Capability Overhang, the gap is not driven by access alone but by how deeply AI tools are used in everyday work and learning. The report found that power users rely on around seven times more advanced AI “thinking capabilities” than typical users, with similar gaps visible at the country level.
Osborne wrote that OpenAI’s own research showed the scale of this imbalance, noting that “the typical power user relies on about seven times more advanced ‘thinking capabilities’ than the typical user.” He also highlighted that the divide was not strictly linked to national wealth, pointing to countries such as Vietnam and Pakistan ranking among the world’s most advanced AI users despite lower average income levels.
OpenAI confirmed that the expanded OpenAI for Countries initiative now includes new programs focused on education systems, AI skills training and certifications, health, cybersecurity, disaster preparedness, and startup accelerators. Education-focused partnerships aim to integrate AI tools into national systems alongside teacher training, student access, and research into learning impact.
Davos conversations shape OpenAI for Countries expansion
Osborne wrote that the conversations at Davos were a key moment in shaping the next phase of OpenAI for Countries, describing them as “an important step” in translating AI capability into real-world impact. He said the initiative was designed to give governments “a range of options for how to work with us to address their unique needs and priorities.”
The education and skills components of the program align with OpenAI’s broader push to move institutions beyond basic experimentation toward scaled deployment. OpenAI said the goal is to help countries apply existing AI capabilities across universities, training systems, and public services, rather than waiting for future breakthroughs.
As Osborne put it in his LinkedIn post, the risk is that “a small number of countries will pull further ahead economically and technologically, while others fall behind in ways that will be difficult to reverse.” He added that closing this gap was a central goal of OpenAI for Countries.
OpenAI’s report frames AI education and skills development as essential infrastructure for national competitiveness, likening AI’s role to electricity or the internet in earlier economic shifts. The company said that without deliberate investment in education and training, AI adoption is likely to remain shallow, even as capabilities accelerate.
Osborne wrote that many of the societal challenges he had worked on throughout his career, including education and economic opportunity, were now converging around AI. He said he had been “constantly surprised by the scale of the change — and the opportunity,” adding that the level of government interest in applying AI to real-world problems was “striking.”