‘What’s the point?’ Netizens question LTA’s humanoid robot trial at Little India MRT

SINGAPORE: Singapore commuters who are travelling through Little India MRT station on the Downtown Line will soon encounter a new digital assistant, a humanoid robot named Olly. 

In a Facebook post shared by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the two-week pilot program of Olly will run on weekdays from August 31 to September 11, 2026, operating between 10:00 a.m and 12:00 p.m. 

“Before that, you may see Olly familiarising himself with the station environment. We seek your patience and understanding as he takes his time to learn!” the LTA further shared on their post. 

The LTA assured that the humanoid robot will not be alone, as their team is closely behind him at all times. Through this trial, the LTA is exploring how AI-enabled technologies can be of help in Singapore’s public transportation systems, in hopes of making people’s commuting experience better. 

With this, many netizens shared their thoughts and opinions about Olly in the comments section of the post. One commenter admitted: “You’re exploring AI-enabled technologies, so does the robot need to be monitored by another staff? If yes, don’t waste resources.” 

Another netizen questioned the need to spend expensive money on robots if the tasks can be done by people. 

“What’s the point of getting a robot to do a human job? I thought the government should consider engaging humans first to encourage employment?” a netizen remarked. 

“Waste of resources. Still need a human to control it. Might as well place a human being to walk around and assist the passenger,” one more comment claimed. 

Others suggested that the authorities should spend their money maintaining the trains instead, and many people still prefer talking to humans rather than modern technological advancements such as robots. 

“One step advanced in technology, multiple steps backwards for humanity,” a comment concluded.