Grab announces new Thailand initiative with OpenAI
Grab and OpenAI Bring Practical AI Training to Thailand’s Gig Workers
Healfromzero.com – Grab is expanding its artificial intelligence training efforts in Thailand through a new program with OpenAI aimed at helping drivers, merchants and other platform partners use AI in practical ways that may support their work and income opportunities.
The Singapore-headquartered technology company said Wednesday that 3,000 gig workers in Thailand will take part in hands-on workshops under the initiative, called “GO Forward with AI.” Participants will also receive complimentary access to ChatGPT Plus for three months.
The effort is designed to move beyond simple exposure to AI tools. Grab and OpenAI want participants to develop skills they can apply to customer relationships, business promotion, personal money management and other day-to-day needs relevant to independent workers and small businesses.
Training Delivered Through the Driver App
Grab plans to offer the workshops through its Grab Driver App, making the material available in an environment already used by many of its partners. The curriculum will cover customer engagement and retention, branding and marketing, personal finance, and first aid.
For drivers and sellers, the focus is expected to be on using AI as a working tool rather than simply experimenting with a chatbot. That can include organizing multi-step tasks, creating basic websites and setting up repeatable workflows. Grab has described these capabilities as a way for users to explore opportunities beyond one-off questions and answers.
“Giving accessibility is just one thing. It’s how do you translate it again to earnings to their pocket, upskilling, reskilling every one of them, and that’s why today I’m here in Thailand,” Grab CEO Anthony Tan said.
The Thailand launch forms part of a wider regional partnership between Grab and OpenAI. Over the coming two years, the companies intend to provide AI upskilling to more than 30,000 gig workers and entrepreneurs throughout Southeast Asia.
The partnership was unveiled last month, beginning with Singapore before extending to Thailand. Grab and OpenAI have also said that programs in Indonesia and the Philippines are expected later this year.
From Interest in AI to Everyday Use
AI has become increasingly relevant to small operators who need to handle many responsibilities without large teams or specialized technical support. A merchant may need to write marketing material, respond to customers, assess business ideas and organize tasks. A driver-partner may want to investigate another business concept or better manage routine decisions. The program is intended to give those users a more concrete starting point.
“Our partners are intrigued by AI, and many are looking for practical guidance on how to apply it in ways that are relevant to their work, businesses and aspirations,” said Ong Chin Yin, Grab’s chief organizational capability officer.
“This program is about building that confidence – whether it’s helping a merchant make smarter business decisions or giving a driver-partner the tools to explore a new business idea and create new opportunities for growth,” she added.
The emphasis on confidence is important for a workforce with varied roles and digital experience. Access to a technology platform alone does not guarantee that users know when it is useful, how to ask effective questions or how to assess the results it produces. The training is meant to help participants adapt AI tools to their own businesses and work routines.
OpenAI’s regional leadership framed the project as an effort to ensure that the benefits of advancing AI capabilities are more broadly shared.
“As we enter a new era of AI capabilities, it’s not enough for people to simply have access to AI. They also need the skills and confidence to use it, adapt as the technology changes, and share in the progress it creates,” said Kiran Mani, OpenAI’s Asia Pacific managing director.
“People across Thailand are already embracing AI, and through GO Forward with AI, we’re excited to work with Grab to turn that interest into practical skills,” he added.
A Broader Role for Grab Across Southeast Asia
Grab began as a ride-hailing business and has since developed into a broader app-based platform offering food delivery, digital payments and business tools for local small enterprises. It operates across eight countries and more than 900 cities in Southeast Asia.
The new training initiative builds on an existing relationship between Grab and OpenAI that began in 2024. Their work has included the in-app Driver AI Assistant, which Grab says has been used by more than 500,000 drivers. The company has said the assistant helps drivers identify demand, improve earning opportunities and address routine questions.
Thailand’s inclusion in the new program places a focus on the practical side of AI adoption: helping people use the technology to make decisions, communicate with customers and develop potential new sources of work. For gig workers and small merchants, the value of AI may depend less on advanced technical knowledge than on whether it can fit naturally into the demands of a busy working day.
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