OpenAI and Grab announced the GO Forward with AI regional skilling programme, intended to help 30,000 of Grab’s driver-, delivery- and merchant-partners across Southeast Asia develop practical AI skills over the next two years. The programme starts in Singapore and will expand to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines later this year, with Malaysia and Vietnam planned for 2027.
Why the programme was created
Many Grab partners—especially merchants and gig-economy workers—face daily decisions about pricing, inventory and promotions, and some are exploring their own business ideas. AI can support these tasks, but learning how to apply it effectively requires hands-on practice and guidance. The partnership aims to make AI useful for concrete business and operational needs.
What participants will do and learn
The programme will run half-day, in-person workshops based on the OpenAI Academy curriculum, adapted to local needs. During workshops participants will:
- Use ChatGPT to explore and sketch out business ideas;
- analyze sales patterns and draft promotion plans;
- try ChatGPT Work on larger tasks, such as turning sales data into a dashboard, building a simple website or developing an expansion plan;
- review outputs from the tools and make follow-up decisions.
GrabAcademy trainers will also be trained so they can scale the programme to more partners over time.
Data and prior collaboration
According to a Grab survey among its driver- and delivery-partners in Singapore, half already use AI tools; among those who do not, 87% said they were open to trying them. ChatGPT was the most widely known tool. Many respondents expressed interest in growing an existing business or starting a new one.
OpenAI and Grab have collaborated since 2024 on tools including the Driver AI Assistant, which uses OpenAI models to help drivers find demand, use their time efficiently and answer everyday questions. That assistant has reached nearly 500,000 drivers. GO Forward with AI builds on this work by giving partners time and guided workshops to apply AI to their own goals.
Leadership statements
Ong Chin Yin, Chief Organisational Capability Officer at Grab, said the programme aims to make AI benefits accessible and practical for partners—helping merchants make smarter business decisions and giving driver-partners tools to explore new business ideas and growth opportunities.
Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International at OpenAI, noted that while ChatGPT has seen strong adoption across Southeast Asia, many users are only beginning to explore its potential. He said the Singapore launch is part of OpenAI for Singapore and reflects a shared belief with Grab that AI should be practical, accessible and useful for local communities.
Practical impact
The programme intends to level the playing field by giving merchants and platform workers practical skills to perform tasks that might otherwise require a larger team, such as data analysis, idea development and planning. With the right training, participants can use AI to take on more of that work themselves—improving efficiency or identifying alternative income streams.
The initial workshops begin in Singapore, with regional rollout planned over the coming months. Grab and OpenAI will tailor each workshop to local needs as the programme expands across Southeast Asia.
