Grab and OpenAI to Train 30,000 AI Partners

Key Takeaways

1OpenAI and Grab launch GO Forward with AI, a two-year program for 30,000 partners in Southeast Asia

2The initiative includes half-day workshops, the use of ChatGPT Work, and train-the-trainer programs

3The rollout begins in Singapore and will expand to other Southeast Asian countries by 2027

Why it matters : The initiative aims to make AI accessible and useful to a wide audience of workers and merchants in the region.

OpenAI and Grab Launch a Two-Year Program to Promote Practical AI Use in the Superapp Ecosystem. The initiative builds on tools already deployed for drivers and will expand in waves across the region, featuring in-person workshops and a train-the-trainer program.

An Existing Foundation and Quantified Goals

OpenAI and Grab have been collaborating since 2024 on tools designed for drivers, including an AI Assistant powered by OpenAI models. According to the company, this assistant helps locate demand, optimize working hours, and answer common questions, and has been used by nearly 500,000 drivers. The new program, GO Forward with AI, leverages this experience by providing time and support to experiment with AI according to each partner's objectives. It aims to assist 30,000 Grab partners, including drivers, delivery personnel, and merchants, in developing practical AI skills. Over two years, the stated goal is to help these 30,000 participants apply these skills in their activities.

Hands-On Workshops Powered by ChatGPT Work

The program is based on half-day in-person workshops scheduled in the coming months across the region, founded on the OpenAI Academy curriculum, with adaptations to meet the needs of each country. GrabAcademy trainers will receive training themselves to broaden access to an increasingly wide audience. The workshops are set to utilize ChatGPT Work for tasks such as converting sales data into dashboards, designing a basic website, or creating an expansion plan, before participants analyze the results and make corresponding decisions. The program revolves around business choices: a driver or delivery person can study a business idea and develop a plan, while a merchant can examine sales trends, organize promotional operations, or anticipate demand fluctuations.

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Existing Adoption and Strong Willingness to Experiment

According to a Grab survey conducted among its driver partners in Singapore, half report using AI tools, and 87% of non-users express a willingness to try them. ChatGPT is the most recognized tool among this group. Many respondents mention a desire to develop an existing business or launch a new one. Partners show interest in AI while seeking concrete advice on how to apply it to their work, businesses, and aspirations.

Framework, Timeline, and Regional Scope

GO Forward with AI is launched in collaboration with Grab and is set to begin in Singapore before an announced expansion to Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines later this year, followed by Malaysia and Vietnam in 2027. Grab and OpenAI indicate their intention to make the benefits of AI more accessible and useful for the communities they serve. The collaboration is presented as aligned with OpenAI's mission related to general artificial intelligence and Grab's commitment to economic opportunities in Southeast Asia, fitting within the OpenAI for Singapore initiative. In the region, merchants and gig workers already make daily business decisions, and AI is presented as a tool whose relevant use requires practice. The program aims to build confidence, for example, by helping a merchant make decisions or equipping a driver with the tools to explore a business idea.