Visually impaired users in Singapore may soon use voice commands to book a Grab ride

Straits Times

23-05-2025

Visually impaired users will be able to speak to the Grab app similar to how one talks to a friend. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO
Visually impaired users in Singapore may soon use voice commands to book a Grab ride
SINGAPORE – Ride-hailing operator Grab is testing a voice assistant feature to allow visually-impaired users in Singapore to book rides using voice commands.
Visually-impaired users will be able to speak to the Grab app similar to how one talks to a friend, as the new artificial intelligence (AI) tool will converse with them to confirm or clarify information needed to book a ride. A launch date for the feature has not been set.
Announcing this among a slate of upcoming features at the launch of its AI centre of excellence on May 23, Grab said that its new centre will hire at least 50 product, engineering, data science and analytics professionals by the end of 2025 .
It declined to disclose the cost of the new centre at its headquarters in One-North.
Speaking at the launch, Grab's chief technology officer Suthen Thomas said: 'The promise of generative AI is that it will make computing more accessible, enabling people to interact with technology and computing in ways that are more intuitive and natural.'
Describing the voice assistant feature as one that Grab built with the community, Mr Thomas said that members of the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped have participated in focus group discussions and were involved in testing the feature.
He added that the members' insights allowed the platform to better understand the needs of those who are visually impaired, but did not disclose the number of trial users.
Grab employees, too, have donated 80,000 voice samples to improve the speech-to-text model, such that it is able to understand Singaporean accents and speaking nuances for names of locations and points of interest.
The platform will also be launching a voice donation initiative in June , calling for Grab users to donate voice samples in which they are reciting the names of locations or buildings, to help improve the accuracy of this voice assistant feature.
Beyond supporting visually-impaired users, Mr Thomas said Grab will continue enhancing this feature to improve its accuracy and explore ways to extend its use to elderly users.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, said at the event: 'We set out to encourage and support companies to set up AI centres of excellence... in order to allow us to build new capabilities, develop solutions and drive value creation through AI.'
He added: 'Besides uplifting industry know-how, these AI centres of excellence will also serve to uplift the capabilities of our workforce and enable us to train and grow our pool of AI talent and practitioners.'
Other AI-powered tools introduced by Grab at the launch include the use of real-world data collected by its drivers in a real-time flood monitoring system helmed by national water agency PUB.
This collaboration, which started in early-2025 , allows the platform's drivers and PUB to receive accurate flood alerts, which in turn minimises traffic disruption during heavy rains.
It is enabled by Grab's in-house technological equipment, including outward-facing dashcams that will be installed on vehicles, which can capture and process real-world data such as the presence of flooding, heavy rain, potholes and traffic conditions.
Drivers themselves can also report or confirm sightings of floods via voice commands, and the system can redirect other drivers to alternative routes to help them avoid closed or flooded roads, noted Grab.
There are currently only three such dashcams in operation here, but the firm is in the process of rolling more out.
Another new feature being trialled among majority of drivers in Singapore is an AI driver companion, which offers them real-time recommendations of specific spots where they are more likely to get rides. Each driver will receive tailored recommendations.
Grab noted that this is an improvement to the previous heatmap function that directs all drivers to wider areas with potentially high demand, as there used to be a problem of over-supply when drivers moved towards the same hotspot at the same time.
On AI making jobs redundant, Mr Thomas said that Grab sees AI allowing employees to create more impact and explore new spaces to solve new problems. 'Obviously, we're always looking at being prudent with cost, but that would have been true with or without AI,' he added.
To support companies in their AI march, DPM Gan said that the Government will progressively ramp up its national data centre capacity from 1.4 gigawatts to 2 gigawatts by 2030 , as well as establish partnerships with major computing players ranging from chipmakers to cloud service providers.
DPM Gan noted that the Government wants to raise the number of AI practitioners here to 15,000 over the next three to five years .
'Through attracting and anchoring companies like Grab to Singapore, we can continue to create good jobs and opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans,' he said.
More on this Topic Grab to roll out Teen accounts, AI to detect tyre screeches and potential danger
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.