Grab announces new Thailand initiative with OpenAI

John Wreford/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/AP

Southeast Asia’s multi-purpose app Grab will work with OpenAI to boost the AI skills of its drivers, sellers and other providers in Thailand, the Singapore-based company announced on Wednesday.

The joint program plans to train 3,000 Grab gig workers across Thailand to tap into new sources of income through a series of practical AI workshops. Participants will also receive three months of free ChatGPT Plus access.

“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 in an exclusive announcement at CNN’s Global Perspectives event in Bangkok.

Workshops will be delivered through the Grab Driver App. Featured training topics include customer engagement and retention, marketing and branding, personal finance and first aid.

Grab began as a ride-hailing service and later expanded into food delivery, digital payments and business solutions for local small businesses. The regional tech giant operates in eight countries and over 900 cities across Southeast Asia.

The “GO Forward with AI” launch in Thailand is part of a broader partnership with OpenAI that aims to upskill over 30,000 gig workers and entrepreneurs across the region over the next two years.

The initiative was first announced by Grab and OpenAI last month. Beginning in Singapore, it was subsequently expanded to Thailand and was said to be launching in Indonesia and the Philippines later this year, according to the companies’ statements.

Through the AI training provided, Grab envisions that participants would be able to tap AI agentic capabilities – such as delegating multi-step tasks, building simple websites and creating repeatable workflows – beyond asking one-off questions.

“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, in the September statement .

“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.

“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, in a Wednesday statement.

“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.

Grab has partnered with OpenAI since 2024, launching several AI applications, including its in-app Driver AI Assistant that it says has reached over half a million drivers and helped them find demand, optimize earnings and resolve day-to-day questions.

约翰·雷福德/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/美联社

总部位于新加坡的东南亚多功能应用 Grab 周三宣布，将与 OpenAI 合作，提升其在泰国的司机、卖家和其他服务提供商的 AI 技能。

该联合项目计划通过一系列实用的人工智能研讨会，培训泰国各地3000名Grab零工人员，帮助他们开拓新的收入来源。参与者还将获得三个月的免费ChatGPT Plus使用权限。

“提供便利只是一方面。关键在于如何将其转化为他们的收入，提升他们的技能，重新培训他们每个人，这就是我今天来到泰国的原因，”Grab 首席执行官 Anthony Tan 在曼谷举行的 CNN 全球展望活动上发表独家声明时说道。

培训课程将通过Grab司机端App进行。培训主题包括客户互动与维系、市场营销与品牌推广、个人理财和急救。

Grab 最初是一家网约车服务公司，后来业务拓展至外卖、数字支付和面向本地小型企业的商业解决方案。这家区域性科技巨头目前在东南亚八个国家、900 多个城市开展业务。

在泰国启动的“GO Forward with AI”项目是与 OpenAI 更广泛合作的一部分，旨在未来两年内提升该地区超过 30,000 名零工人员和创业者的技能。

这项计划最初由Grab和OpenAI于上个月宣布。根据两家公司的声明，该计划首先在新加坡启动，随后扩展到泰国，并计划于今年晚些时候在印度尼西亚和菲律宾推出。

Grab 设想，通过提供的 AI 培训，参与者将能够利用 AI 代理能力（例如委派多步骤任务、构建简单的网站和创建可重复的工作流程），而不仅仅是提出一次性问题。

Grab首席组织能力官Ong Chin Yin在9月份的声明中表示：“我们的合作伙伴对人工智能很感兴趣，许多合作伙伴都在寻求如何以与他们的工作、业务和愿望相关的方式应用人工智能的实用指导。”

她补充说：“这个项目的目的是建立这种信心——无论是帮助商家做出更明智的商业决策，还是为司机合作伙伴提供探索新商业理念和创造新增长机会的工具。”

OpenAI亚太区总经理Kiran Mani周三在一份声明中表示：“随着我们进入人工智能能力的新时代，人们仅仅能够接触到人工智能是不够的。他们还需要具备使用人工智能的技能和信心，能够随着技术的变化而适应，并分享人工智能带来的进步。”

“泰国各地的人们已经开始接受人工智能，我们很高兴通过‘GO Forward with AI’项目与Grab合作，将这种兴趣转化为实际技能，”他补充道。

自 2024 年以来，Grab 一直与 OpenAI 合作，推出了多款 AI 应用，其中包括其应用内司机 AI 助手。Grab 表示，该助手已覆盖超过 50 万名司机，帮助他们寻找需求、优化收入并解决日常问题。