Grab to open AI lab with the National University of Singapore

Grab, one of the leading ride hailing platforms throughout Southeast Asia, has partnered up with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to launch its first major AI laboratory.

The facility, named the Grab-NUS AI Lab, has been set up with an initial $6mn joint venture investment in the aim of accelerating the development of next generation transportation technologies.

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The AI lab will leverage data from Grab’s existing platform, that has to date been host to more than two billion rides, in order to gain deep insights into how the travel market operates across Southeast Asia.

“The Grab-NUS AI Lab is an excellent collaborative effort where NUS researchers will work closely with Grab data scientists to create unique AI innovations based on insights relevant to Asia and the world,” said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye.

“This is also a great opportunity for our researchers and students to make a real-world impact through our research in data science and AI.”

The aim is to both develop new solutions to enhance Grab’s technological capabilities, and also tackle wider transport related problems such as congestion within leading regional cities.

“The AI Lab will harness the power of Grab’s data and machine learning with research and talent from a world leading institution, to become a valuable tool for governments who are bringing smarter transport to their cities in Southeast Asia,” said Grab Group CEO and Co-Founder Anthony Tan.

Located on the NUS campus, the facility will initially house 28 leading researchers and experts that will work on the development of various AI projects.