Grab CEO Anthony Tan urges drivers to upskill ahead of robobuses debut in Singapore

During a quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, Tan revealed that Grab, the Singapore-based ride-hailing giant, is investing heavily in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology to introduce driverless vehicles.

"Autonomous vehicles and remote driving represent another exciting frontier for Grab," Tan said, as quoted by Nikkei Asia. He also highlighted the company’s efforts to pilot more autonomous services to better understand operational conditions, with a focus on improving transport connectivity through driverless technologies.

Grab CEO Anthony Tan. Photo courtesy of Grab

Grab successfully piloted autonomous vehicles in Singapore in September, in collaboration with WeRide, a Chinese robotaxi operator. The company also invested in U.S.-based May Mobility, a leader in autonomous vehicle services, which began operating robotaxis in the U.S. earlier this year.

Tan emphasized that these investments align with Grab’s long-term strategy to "lead the adoption of AV and remote driving across Southeast Asia." However, he acknowledged that the transition to autonomous vehicles may face challenges in the region, given the lower labor costs compared to developed markets like the U.S. and Singapore, according to Fortune.

In response to this shift, Tan proposed that Grab’s human drivers could transition into new roles within the company, such as remote safety operators, data labelers, and LiDAR specialists. This initiative is part of Grab’s broader plan to create new job opportunities in technology and safety as autonomous vehicles reshape traditional driving roles.

Tan also reaffirmed Grab’s commitment to integrating AI into its operations. Over 98% of Grab’s engineers now use AI to enhance development cycles. He added that AI has also improved the user experience for visually impaired users on the app, with speech recognition now achieving a 90% accuracy rate, up from 46%.