Free AI training and ChatGPT subscriptions for Grab platform workers, merchants to build business ideas

SINGAPORE – After six years of working as a taxi driver, Putri Aziella is ready to call it quits in November when her contract ends and dedicate more time to her true passion – baking cakes, cookies, rolls and brownies.

Having started selling her bakes through TikTok earlier this year, she hopes to expand her reach by creating a website and a visually appealing menu – but such tasks have always felt out of reach without technical skills.

Such barriers could become less of a concern for Aziella, with artificial intelligence helping her overcome some of them.

She is among the first batch of Grab driver-partners, delivery riders and merchants in Singapore to attend the GO Forward with AI workshop, part of a training programme created by Grab and OpenAI to teach practical AI skills.

The two-year programme was launched here on Sept 23 and will be expanded to include over 30,000 gig workers and merchants across South-East Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

In Singapore, participants will be able to sign up for free half-day workshops, where they will pick up skills such as creating product designs, building functional websites and gauging demand for business ideas – just by using prompts in natural language without the need for coding.

After the workshop, participants will also receive a free three-month subscription to ChatGPT Plus, a premium version of the AI tool that gives users access to smarter AI models, higher prompt limits and the ability to create working products without coding knowledge.

“Creating my own menu, and doing price research – these are head-cracking tasks that will take me hours or months without AI,” said Aziella, who added that she will be tapping the technology to come up with packaging ideas and strategies to market to customers in different age groups.

The inaugural workshop taught by a solutions engineer from OpenAI was held on Sept 23 and attended by 50 female drivers and delivery riders.

Participants were shown how to use ChatGPT in multiple languages via the voice-to-text function, as well as how to gauge demand for different product ideas.

For instance, ChatGPT’s response to a query on whether to sell custom animal pins or ice cream in Singapore could include statistics on the number of stores selling animal pins on e-commerce platform Etsy, plus information on the regulations that ice-cream sellers must comply with.

Participants were also shown how to use built-in tools to create a realistic mock-up of an animal pin based on a rough drawing, build a functional website to showcase products and simulate how different price points could affect their earnings.

Such practical skills can help drivers, delivery riders and merchants stay relevant and pursue new opportunities as the world changes, said Grab’s chief organisational capability officer Ong Chin Yin at the launch event at Grab@Tampines, the company’s driver centre.

Women made up the inaugural batch as they had shown strong interest in learning AI but were unsure about avenues to do so, said Ong.

She added that AI reduces the barrier to entry for starting a business, which traditionally requires upfront capital expenditure and human manpower.

“Underpinning this (new programme) is our collaboration with the Government, connecting these efforts to Singapore’s broader push to make AI work for our people,” said Ong.

Helping workers upskill and supporting companies in redesigning jobs are among the key priorities of the Government, amid an AI-driven disruption that is reshaping in-demand skills by automating job functions such as writing and coding.

In the transport sector, for instance, with the gradual introduction of AI-powered autonomous vehicles (AV) in Singapore, taxi and private-hire drivers have been encouraged to take part in career conversion programmes and training schemes to assume new roles such as AV safety operators.

Minister of State for Manpower and Trade and Industry Foo Cexiang, who attended the launch event on Sept 23, acknowledged concerns about whether the benefits of AI will be shared by all.

“We cannot have AI that only creates opportunities for a small group of technological experts,” said Foo.

“It needs to be able to support workers, Singaporeans from all walks of life, for us to become more productive, capable and confident to pursue our aspirations.”

He added that the Government will work with companies, tech firms and unions to achieve this goal.