OpenAI and Grab have launched GO Forward with AI, a two-year programme to bring practical AI skills to Southeast Asia. Over the next two years, the collaboration will help 30,000 of Grab’s driver-, delivery-, and merchant-partners build skills they can use in their work and businesses. The programme starts in Singapore and will expand to Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines later this year, followed by Malaysia and Vietnam in 2027.

The initiative is grounded in local demand. In a Grab survey of its driver-partners in Singapore, half of Grab’s driver and delivery partners said they use AI tools. Among those who do not, 87% said they were open to trying them, and ChatGPT was the tool they knew best. Many said they wanted to grow an existing business or explore starting one. GO Forward with AI is designed around decisions these partners commonly face: a driver or delivery partner could use ChatGPT to explore a business idea, think through what would make it stand out, and make a plan; a merchant could use it to look for patterns in sales, plan promotions, or prepare for changes in demand.

The programme uses hands-on, half-day workshops built on the OpenAI Academy curriculum and adapted to partners’ needs in each country. Participants will try ChatGPT Work on larger tasks such as turning sales data into a dashboard, building a simple website, or developing an expansion plan. They will review what the tool produces and make the decisions that follow. Grab will also train GrabAcademy trainers so the programme can reach more people over time.

The launch builds on existing work between the two companies. Since 2024, Grab’s Driver AI Assistant, powered by OpenAI models, has helped drivers find demand, make better use of their time, and get answers to everyday questions; it has reached close to 500,000 drivers. GO Forward with AI extends this by giving partners time and guidance to try AI for their own goals. It is also part of OpenAI for Singapore, OpenAI’s broader effort with local partners to help people and businesses in the country put AI to use.

Quotes from the announcement reinforce the programme’s practical focus. Ong Chin Yin, Grab’s Chief Organisational Capability Officer, said partners are excited about AI but many are looking for practical guidance on applying it in ways relevant to their work, businesses, and aspirations. Oliver Jay, OpenAI’s Managing Director, International, noted that ChatGPT has seen strong adoption across Southeast Asia but many people are still only scratching the surface of what it can help them achieve. Suhada Abdullah, a Grab driver-partner, said the workshops took her from idea to execution, helping her support the family hawker business and build projects for alternative income streams.