🔍 Read the full analysis: Grab And OpenAI Bring Hands-On AI Learning To Southeast Asia on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
Grab and OpenAI announced a two-year programme to give 30,000 drivers, delivery partners and merchants in Southeast Asia practical AI training. It launched in Singapore on September 23, 2026, with plans to expand to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines later this year. The companies have not published a detailed schedule for reaching all participants.
Grab and OpenAI have launched a two-year training programme aimed at teaching 30,000 drivers, delivery partners and merchants across Southeast Asia to use artificial intelligence in their work and businesses. Called GO Forward with AI, the programme began in Singapore and is expected to expand to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines later in 2026, according to Grab.
The companies say the programme will combine half-day, in-person masterclasses with a train-the-trainer model. OpenAI and Grab teams will lead sessions based on OpenAI Academy’s curriculum, adapted for local driver, delivery and merchant communities. GrabAcademy trainers will then be equipped to deliver further sessions across the region. The announcement did not give country-by-country dates or explain how the 30,000-participant target will be divided among markets.
Training is designed around tasks relevant to participants’ livelihoods. Merchants will learn to use ChatGPT to examine point-of-sale data, identify trends and plan promotions; examples also include inventory planning and demand forecasting. Drivers and delivery partners in Singapore will focus on exploring business ideas, developing marketing materials and preparing action plans. Grab said all participants will receive three months of complimentary ChatGPT Plus access to continue practising after the workshops.
The initiative builds on earlier work between the companies. Grab said its Driver AI Assistant, powered by OpenAI models, has reached close to 500,000 drivers and offers personalised guidance on finding demand, improving earnings and handling day-to-day questions. That figure and description come from Grab’s announcement; the companies did not provide an independent evaluation of the assistant’s effects on drivers’ earnings or work.
AI Skills for Platform Businesses
The programme places hands-on AI training within a large platform’s existing partner network, rather than relying only on people to seek out general-purpose tools on their own. For small merchants and independent workers, practical instruction could help them test uses such as reviewing sales patterns, drafting promotions or planning stock. Whether those uses save time or improve business results will depend on adoption and execution; the announcement presents intended applications, not measured outcomes.
The initiative also reflects an effort by Grab and OpenAI to extend AI use beyond office-based work. Many of the proposed exercises relate to routine decisions made by merchants and workers who operate businesses through a digital platform. The training may give participants a guided introduction to these tools, while also making them more familiar with products from OpenAI. The announcement does not specify whether the programme will teach participants to compare AI systems or cover the costs of using paid services after the three-month access period.
For Grab, the initiative connects workforce support with its broader use of AI across the platform. For OpenAI, it offers a route to introduce its tools to communities in several Southeast Asian markets through a regional company. Those are strategic implications of the partnership; neither company has provided targets for business growth, productivity gains or new revenue from the programme.
A Partnership Building on Earlier Tools
Grab and OpenAI say their collaboration dates to May 2024 and has included applied AI projects for Grab’s services and operations. The new programme is distinct in focus: it is structured as skills training for drivers, delivery partners and merchants, with practical exercises and follow-on access to ChatGPT Plus. Grab described it as OpenAI’s first regional AI-skilling programme in Southeast Asia with the company.
Grab said the programme was shaped by partners in Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand who wanted to start or grow businesses and needed practical digital skills. In Singapore, the company reported that 50% of driver and delivery partners use AI tools, while 87% of those who have not adopted them said they were open to new tools. For merchant partners, Grab reported that 33% currently use AI in their work and 25% said their employees could apply AI effectively. These are figures cited by Grab in its announcement; the company did not provide the survey dates, sample sizes or methodology in the release, so they should be read with those limits in mind.
Reach and Results Still Unreported
Grab has announced the 30,000-person target and initial markets but has not set out a full timetable, recruitment process or market-by-market allocation. It is also unclear how the companies will measure whether training leads to sustained use of AI, changes in business practices, saved time or higher earnings.
The announcement describes example exercises and offers participant accounts, but it provides no independent assessment of the training’s effectiveness. It does not detail how participant data and business records will be handled in AI tools, what safeguards will apply when people use those tools for business decisions, or what access will cost after the three-month ChatGPT Plus offer ends. The companies have not said whether the curriculum will be adapted for languages and local needs in each market beyond the stated market-by-market approach.
Expansion Across Three Markets
Grab and OpenAI say the programme will expand from Singapore to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines later in 2026. The companies say they will use local masterclasses and GrabAcademy’s trainer network to extend the training. Specific launch dates, enrolment details and participant totals by country have not yet been announced.
The next updates to watch are the pace of expansion and any reporting on attendance, continued tool use and outcomes for merchants and platform workers. Those details would help establish whether the training reaches its stated target and whether participants apply the skills in their daily work.
Key Questions
What is GO Forward with AI?
GO Forward with AI is a Grab and OpenAI training programme intended to teach drivers, delivery partners and merchants practical uses of AI. It includes in-person masterclasses and a train-the-trainer component through GrabAcademy.
How many people will the programme train?
The companies set a target of 30,000 participants over two years. They have not released a market-by-market breakdown or detailed enrolment schedule.
Which countries are included?
The programme launched first in Singapore. Grab said it plans to expand to Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines later in 2026.
What will participants learn?
Examples include using AI to review sales data, plan promotions and manage inventory, as well as developing business ideas, marketing materials and action plans. The training will be adapted for the participating partner communities.
What support do participants receive after training?
Grab said participants will receive three months of complimentary ChatGPT Plus. The companies have not said whether continued access will be subsidised after that period.
Primary source: OpenAI · via ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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