SINGAPORE: Grab announced the launch of its first Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI COE) on Friday (May 23), supported by the Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), to speed up AI-driven solutions across Southeast Asia.
The centre, located at Tower B of GrabHQ@One-North, will focus on improving accessibility, boosting productivity and growth, and contributing to smart nation building in the region.
It is also expected to create at least 50 high-value roles in product innovation, engineering, data science, and analytics this year. These roles will allow Singaporeans to work on AI solutions that address regional challenges and could be scaled globally.
According to The Edge Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong attended the launch event, along with Grab co-founder and group CEO Anthony Tan, president and COO Alex Hungate, and CTO Suthen Thomas.
One of the key innovations showcased at the launch was a voice assistant feature that allows visually impaired users to book Grab rides through voice commands. The feature was built in collaboration with the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH).
The tool uses OpenAI models that Grab fine-tuned to make the speech-to-text model work better for locals. The team used around 80,000 Singaporean voice samples and names of points of interest, boosting the tool’s accuracy in recognising local accents and building names from 46% to 89%.
Grab said it will launch a voice donation feature in June, letting Singapore users share voice samples to help make the Voice Assistant more intuitive and inclusive.
Grab also introduced its Driver AI Companion for drivers to get real-time tips on booking spots, efficient routes, and reward programmes based on driving patterns, and a Merchant AI Assistant to provide support for small businesses to grow both online and offline.
Mr Suthen Thomas said, “With over 1,000 AI models powering our platform, we’ve seen firsthand how we can leverage AI to improve lives. Recent advancements in AI hold the promise to transform how we interact with technology, foster innovation, and bridge digital divides.”
Philbert Gomez, Executive Director and Head of Digital Industry Singapore, added, “The establishment of Grab’s AI Centre of Excellence underscores Singapore’s vision to be the world’s most AI-driven economy.” /TISG
Read also: Grab Singapore eyes self-driving cars to “fill the gaps” in less popular locations