Grab, OpenAI partner up to build AI tools for super app’s users, employees

Photo credit: Grab

Grab and OpenAI are partnering up to build and deploy AI solutions for the former’s ecosystem, the companies said in a joint statement.

The two firms say that the partnership is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. They will develop tools for Grab users as well as pilot ChatGPT Enterprise for the company’s employees.

Initially, the partnership will focus on three areas: accessibility, customer service, and mapping. For instance, AI-powered text and voice functions aim to help visually impaired and elderly users who may struggle with Grab’s normal interface.

Other than those, Grab is developing customer service chatbots that can resolve issues more effectively, while further automating and increasing the quality of GrabMaps’ data extraction.

Grab had begun investing in AI as early as 2019, when it announced a US$150 million budget for AI research. It also held a regional AI challenge the same year.

More recently, co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan said in Grab’s earnings call for the fourth quarter of 2023 that generative AI is a priority for 2024, helping the company “stay lean and disciplined,” among other things.

Grab hit US$62 million in adjusted EBITDA for Q1 2024, an all-time high.

See also: Grab’s financial health in 9 charts