OpenAI for Countries – A bigger deal than it looks
- marketing
- Categories: Isidoros' blogposts
- Tags: AI, CX, Loyalty
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A few days ago I came across OpenAI’s announcement of “OpenAI for Countries.” On the surface, it reads like a standard tech partnership offer: OpenAI will help governments set up local ChatGPT data centers and customize AI for their language and needs. At first I thought, “Cool, AI for everyone.” But one nagging question wouldn’t let go:
Why would a country like the UAE build a huge ‘ChatGPT data center’ on its own soil when any citizen can already access it from the cloud?
Think about it. Instead of investing in a massive AI supercomputer in Abu Dhabi, a government could simply subsidize ChatGPT Plus subscriptions for all its people. That would be far cheaper and quicker than pouring billions into infrastructure. So what’s really going on here? I suspect OpenAI for Countries is bigger than it looks – it hints at something much more transformative, something like “One country – One DAO.” Let me explain.
Why not just use the cloud? (The obvious answers)
There are some straightforward reasons a nation might want its own AI servers instead of relying on a faraway cloud:
- Data sovereignty & privacy: Keeping data within national borders is a growing priority. A secure in-country data center ensures a country’s sensitive information doesn’t have to traverse or reside in foreign servers. Essentially, a sovereign AI on home turf gives governments comfort that their data is under local laws and control.
- Customization to local needs: A locally hosted ChatGPT can be fine-tuned to speak the country’s languages, understand its culture, and adhere to its laws and values. OpenAI itself says it wants AI “of, by, and for” each country’s unique needs – meaning your national AI could know your history, holidays, and even slang better than a generic global model.
- Reliable access & performance: If everyone is using the same global AI cloud, there’s a risk of congestion or outages. A dedicated national AI infrastructure can guarantee service continuity (even if global networks go down) and faster responses due to proximity. OpenAI’s pilot in the UAE boasts a 1-gigawatt cluster in Abu Dhabi, enough to serve not just the UAE but possibly neighboring regions. In short, infrastructure is destiny – owning the pipes and processors might ensure you’re not left behind.
- Economic and strategic benefits: Building AI data centers creates local high-tech jobs and expertise. It’s an investment in AI industry at home. OpenAI even promises to co-create a national AI startup fund in partner countries, seeding new companies and revenue streams. Rather than just using foreign tech, a country can claim a stake in the AI economy and even export services using its new infrastructure.
All of the above are valid reasons, and they alone might justify why countries are intrigued. But I think there’s an even deeper shift hiding behind this trend – a shift in how countries themselves might operate in the AI era.
One Country, One DAO?
When I say “One country – One DAO,” I’m picturing a future where a country functions as a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO). A DAO is basically an organization run by code (smart contracts on a blockchain) rather than by fallible central authorities. Members (in this case, citizens) hold tokens or digital IDs that let them vote on decisions and automatically share in the group’s wealth and resources. There’s no CEO or parliament needed to approve every action – the rules encoded in software execute decisions transparently once the community agrees.
That might sound abstract, so let’s break it down in simple terms:
- Automated rule enforcement: Imagine the country’s laws and policies are partly encoded as smart contracts. When a new policy is approved by citizens, the code enforces it automatically. There’s no loophole or delay – it’s on-chain and transparent.
- Direct democracy at scale: Instead of voting once every few years for politicians, citizens could vote directly on budget allocations, laws, or national initiatives in real time. Blockchain-based voting via a secure digital identity would ensure one person, one vote – with results that can’t be tampered with. This is like a national town hall that’s always in session, powered by tech.
- Shared wealth distribution: Perhaps most radically, if AI and robots are doing much of the work, a nation could treat AI-generated wealth as a public good. Think of a sovereign AI (or a network of government-run AI services) that earns revenue – maybe from licensing AI models, providing AI services, or simply the productivity gains of automation. In a DAO-like country, that wealth can be automatically funneled to citizens on an ongoing basis. Every citizen might receive a regular “AI dividend” – similar to a Universal Basic Income, but funded by AI productivity rather than taxes! This isn’t far-fetched: even Sam Altman (OpenAI’s CEO) has advocated UBI in a future where “AI will do more and more of the work that people now do”. A blockchain system could distribute such payments reliably and fairly, without bureaucratic overhead or corruption.
In essence, a DAO-country would be one where citizens collectively own the national AI assets and have a direct say in governance. The country’s constitution might be partly digital – a set of smart contracts everyone can inspect. And the government in the traditional sense starts to look more like a facilitator or platform provider, while decisions and value flow directly between the state and its people.
How a DAO-run nation might work (a peek into the future)
Let’s paint a picture. It’s the 2030, and Country X has partnered with OpenAI (or maybe developed its own models) to deploy a powerful national AI system. This AI isn’t just chatting with citizens – it’s deeply integrated into public services and the economy. Now add a blockchain-based governance layer. Life in this hypothetical DAO-run country could look like:
- Daily Votes and Civic Participation: Citizens interact with a “Governance” app on their phone where proposals are constantly up for vote. Should we build 10 new solar farms this year? How much should the education budget increase? – these questions might be decided not by parliament alone, but by direct referendum in which millions participate. The national AI helps by crunching data and presenting impact analyses for each proposal in plain language (so everyone can understand the pros and cons before voting).
- AI-Backed Policy Execution: Once a proposal passes, the smart contract tied to it immediately triggers funding from the treasury. No drawn-out procurement process – money is released to a project wallet transparently, and progress is tracked on-chain. The AI oversees logistics: it automatically hires vetted contractors (or deploys robot workers) to build those solar farms, optimizing for cost and efficiency. Humans supervise at a high level, but much of the drudgery is handled by the AI “bureaucrat” which executes decisions to the letter.
- Citizen Dividend: Every month, citizens receive a notification that their “AI dividend” (let’s say 500 digital coins) has been deposited to their wallet. These coins come from various AI-run enterprises: perhaps the national AI provided cloud services to other countries, managed investment funds, or saved the government billions by optimizing processes – all those gains flow into a sovereign wealth pool. Because it’s all on the blockchain, anyone can see where the money came from and how the payout was calculated. It feels a bit like getting a share of the country’s GDP growth in real time.
- Transparency and Trust: Corruption and wastage start fading from memory. Why? Every transaction the government makes is recorded on a public ledger visible to all. If a department wants to spend €10 million on a project, that request goes up for approval and the spending trail is there for anyone to inspect. It’s as if every citizen can audit the government’s books – because in a DAO, the citizens are the stakeholders watching the treasury. This radical transparency makes it extremely hard to siphon funds or pass shady deals unnoticed. Trust in institutions might actually rise, because the system is designed to be “trustless” (you don’t have to trust individuals when the code and consensus guard the henhouse).
- AI as Advisor, People as Decision-Makers: Not everyone has the expertise to vote on, say, an economic stimulus package. In a DAO nation, AI can act as an advisor for each citizen. Imagine whenever you’re unsure, you could ask the national AI: “Hey, what does a ‘bond buyback program’ really mean for me?” and it will explain objectively, even tailor the explanation to your knowledge level. The AI might even flag proposals that conflict with the country’s constitution or values (like a built-in watchdog). Ultimately, people make the value judgments – the AI just provides the facts and executes the grunt work.
Does this sound utopian? Maybe. There are plenty of challenges to work out – from cybersecurity risks to making sure all voices (not just the loudest online) are heard in such a system. But elements of this vision are already emerging. For instance, some cities and communities are experimenting with participatory budgeting via blockchain. And countries like Estoniahave digital governance where citizens vote and access almost all services online (not a full DAO, but moving in that direction). The concept of citizens receiving direct stakes in national wealth isn’t new either – oil-rich nations like Norway or Gulf states have given out dividends or benefits to citizens from resource revenues.
In the future, AI could become a new kind of national resource, one that every citizen deserves a share of.
A new social contract for the AI age
Ultimately, the concept of “One country – One DAO” is about rethinking the social contractin a time when AI could fundamentally reshape economics.
If machines generate most wealth and do much of the work, how do we organize society?
Perhaps by ensuring every citizen has ownership in those machines (like owning shares in the national AI) and a voice in major decisions. It’s a way to avoid a future where AI’s gains only enrich a tiny elite or foreign tech companies – instead, the benefits loop back to the public.
I won’t pretend this is a sure thing. There are many uncertainties. Humans aren’t algorithms, and politics won’t magically become frictionless or perfectly rational. Yet, I find this vision exciting because it aligns technology with empowermentrather than control. We often worry AI will centralize power (an all-seeing government or mega-corp). But here’s a counter-narrative:
AI, paired with blockchain, could distribute power more widely than ever before – flipping the top-down governance model on its head.
OpenAI for Countries may look like just another enterprise tech offering. In truth, it nudges us one step closer to a world where nations themselves could operate as smart, decentralized networks, not unlike giant co-operatives of citizens. Whether that happens will depend on choices by governments and societies in the coming years. I, for one, will be watching closely. Today it’s national ChatGPT servers; tomorrow it might be national DAO governance. The countries that dare to experiment might just redefine what “government of the people, by the people, for the people” means in the 21st century. And if AI is going to create the wealth of nations, why shouldn’t all of us have a say – and a share?
Too busy to read? Kick back and enjoy the audio version instead!
Why Customer Service is now brand strategy
Let’s clarify: in 2025, brand reputation lives or dies in customer service. Not marketing. Not a product. Not even pricing. If your support experience is broken, your reputation is damaged.
And it doesn’t take much. One ignored email. One lifeless chatbot. One tone-deaf reply. Today’s consumers don’t wait for a second chance—they move on and take their opinions with them.
Companies love to talk about how AI is transforming customer service. They’re not wrong. But here’s the catch: if you don’t evolve how you use AI—and how your humans work alongside it—your fancy tech stack won’t save you.
What does save you? Paying close attention to three powerful trends that will define the difference between brands people love and brands people leave.
Let’s dive in.
Trend #1: Response time is reputation
A shocking 58% of consumers say they’ve contacted a company and received no response. Not a delay. Not an apology. Just silence.
And here’s the thing: consumers take silence personally.
Ignoring a message—whether it’s a formal complaint, a simple question, or a snarky online review—doesn’t just frustrate your customer. It tells them exactly who you are. It says, “We don’t care.”
What smart brands are doing:
- Automating the acknowledgment: AI-powered autoreplies let the customer know they’ve been heard—even if a human follow-up is pending.
- Prioritizing urgent channels: routing systems ensure that complaints don’t sit idle while compliments get answered first.
- Training reps for digital empathy: speed without sincerity is worse than silence. Smart scripts, combined with human tone training, can turn a delay into an opportunity to earn trust.
Bottom line: a fast response is table stakes. A thoughtful response earns loyalty.
Trend #2: Let me choose how I talk to you
In the race to automate everything, many companies forgot to ask one thing: what do customers want?
Here’s the answer: most customers still prefer phone and email over bots and chat. 65% of consumers choose traditional methods over any AI tool, even when those tools are more available.
Why? Because people want to talk in their language, not the system’s. They want to explain their issue, not answer a script of pre-set questions. They want flexibility, not formality.
What smart brands are doing:
- Maintaining real options: chatbots are great, but don’t make them a wall. Phone lines and email still matter.
- Measuring channel performance: if your AI channel closes cases faster but leaves more customers unsatisfied, it’s not winning.
- Training for omnichannel consistency: every customer should get the same quality of care, whether they come in through Instagram or an IVR.
Bottom line: customers want convenience on their terms. Your job is to show up wherever they are—and be excellent every time.
Trend #3: Don’t make me work for my support
Here’s a frustrating paradox. Companies are gathering more customer data than ever, but customers feel more ignored.
More than half of customers say they must work too hard to get their problems resolved. And that’s not just about waiting. It’s about repeating themselves. Being redirected. Digging through forums. Starting over.
What smart brands are doing:
- Using data proactively: don’t make me explain what you already know. Great support predicts needs and shows up ready.
- Mapping friction points: where do people drop off? Where do agents get stuck? Use that data not to justify problems but to solve them.
- Taking initiative: real-time monitoring lets you intervene before frustration sets in.
Bottom line: good support is responsive, but great support is proactive.
Final thoughts: Customer Experience is the new marketing
You can run the best ads in the world. You can have a logo that people tattoo on their arms. But if your customer service makes people feel small, forgotten, or stuck, they’ll leave you—and tell the world why.
Every interaction is a story. Make sure it’s one they want to share.
In 2025, your support team is your reputation team. Treat them like it.
And remember: the future isn’t just automated. It’s human—at—scale.
Join Pobuca CEO Isidoros Sideridis and AIC for an exclusive AI workshop on June 16-17, where you’ll explore how AI can transform your Customer Service strategies, enhance brand reputation, and drive customer loyalty. Learn cutting-edge techniques, gain hands-on experience, and ensure your business is ready for the future of AI-powered customer service. This workshop is a must for anyone looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of customer support. Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your customer service approach—register now!
Too busy to read? Kick back and enjoy the audio version instead!
Why Customer Service is now brand strategy
Let’s clarify: in 2025, brand reputation lives or dies in customer service. Not marketing. Not a product. Not even pricing. If your support experience is broken, your reputation is damaged.
And it doesn’t take much. One ignored email. One lifeless chatbot. One tone-deaf reply. Today’s consumers don’t wait for a second chance—they move on and take their opinions with them.
Companies love to talk about how AI is transforming customer service. They’re not wrong. But here’s the catch: if you don’t evolve how you use AI—and how your humans work alongside it—your fancy tech stack won’t save you.
What does save you? Paying close attention to three powerful trends that will define the difference between brands people love and brands people leave.
Let’s dive in.
Trend #1: Response time is reputation
A shocking 58% of consumers say they’ve contacted a company and received no response. Not a delay. Not an apology. Just silence.
And here’s the thing: consumers take silence personally.
Ignoring a message—whether it’s a formal complaint, a simple question, or a snarky online review—doesn’t just frustrate your customer. It tells them exactly who you are. It says, “We don’t care.”
What smart brands are doing:
- Automating the acknowledgment: AI-powered autoreplies let the customer know they’ve been heard—even if a human follow-up is pending.
- Prioritizing urgent channels: routing systems ensure that complaints don’t sit idle while compliments get answered first.
- Training reps for digital empathy: speed without sincerity is worse than silence. Smart scripts, combined with human tone training, can turn a delay into an opportunity to earn trust.
Bottom line: a fast response is table stakes. A thoughtful response earns loyalty.
Trend #2: Let me choose how I talk to you
In the race to automate everything, many companies forgot to ask one thing: what do customers want?
Here’s the answer: most customers still prefer phone and email over bots and chat. 65% of consumers choose traditional methods over any AI tool, even when those tools are more available.
Why? Because people want to talk in their language, not the system’s. They want to explain their issue, not answer a script of pre-set questions. They want flexibility, not formality.
What smart brands are doing:
- Maintaining real options: chatbots are great, but don’t make them a wall. Phone lines and email still matter.
- Measuring channel performance: if your AI channel closes cases faster but leaves more customers unsatisfied, it’s not winning.
- Training for omnichannel consistency: every customer should get the same quality of care, whether they come in through Instagram or an IVR.
Bottom line: customers want convenience on their terms. Your job is to show up wherever they are—and be excellent every time.
Trend #3: Don’t make me work for my support
Here’s a frustrating paradox. Companies are gathering more customer data than ever, but customers feel more ignored.
More than half of customers say they must work too hard to get their problems resolved. And that’s not just about waiting. It’s about repeating themselves. Being redirected. Digging through forums. Starting over.
What smart brands are doing:
- Using data proactively: don’t make me explain what you already know. Great support predicts needs and shows up ready.
- Mapping friction points: where do people drop off? Where do agents get stuck? Use that data not to justify problems but to solve them.
- Taking initiative: real-time monitoring lets you intervene before frustration sets in.
Bottom line: good support is responsive, but great support is proactive.
Final thoughts: Customer Experience is the new marketing
You can run the best ads in the world. You can have a logo that people tattoo on their arms. But if your customer service makes people feel small, forgotten, or stuck, they’ll leave you—and tell the world why.
Every interaction is a story. Make sure it’s one they want to share.
In 2025, your support team is your reputation team. Treat them like it.
And remember: the future isn’t just automated. It’s human—at—scale.
Join Pobuca CEO Isidoros Sideridis and AIC for an exclusive AI workshop on June 16-17, where you’ll explore how AI can transform your Customer Service strategies, enhance brand reputation, and drive customer loyalty. Learn cutting-edge techniques, gain hands-on experience, and ensure your business is ready for the future of AI-powered customer service. This workshop is a must for anyone looking to stay ahead in the fast-evolving world of customer support. Don’t miss this opportunity to revolutionize your customer service approach—register now!