Grab to equip 10,000 drivers, merchants with AI skills by 2028
This aligns with efforts by policymakers to future-proof workers as artificial intelligence reshapes business models and jobs
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[SINGAPORE] Grab aims to train 10,000 drivers and merchants on its platform with artificial intelligence (AI) skills by 2028, the company said on Thursday (Feb 5).
The target was announced during a visit to Grab’s one-north office by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo – who co-chairs the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) committee on human capital – and Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon.
The training will cover the use of AI tools to boost sales and productivity, as well as the general usage of AI for day-to-day tasks. To date, more than 300 merchant partners have received the training, said Ong Chin Yin, Grab’s chief organisation capability officer.
She added that the company will also extend its support to partners who seek to transition into other careers that are “in line with their aspirations”.
More than 300 driver partners have transitioned to part-time or full-time roles after undergoing training at Grab, said Ong, who is also a member of the ESR committee on human capital.
The company did not reveal the total number of partners it works with.
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Beyond its partners, Grab has been upskilling its own employees with AI skills, such as basic AI governance and application of AI tools, Ong said.
Grab’s AI Centre of Excellence, which seeks to build and train an ecosystem of AI talents, has hired more than 50 people since its inception in May last year, she noted.
Asked whether job cuts would be needed to fund AI development, Ong said this was “not where our starting point is”, adding that Grab remains focused on equipping its workforce with the right skills to harness technological change.
Strengthening the workforce
As business transformation accelerates, workforce transformation must keep pace, said Dr Koh during a doorstop interview.
“What we want is to strengthen the nexus between business transformation and workforce transformation,” he said, adding that one way to do so is to bridge the gap between schools and the workforce to ensure that graduates are “job-ready”.
He argued that the old framework of studying and learning “all you can” before entering the workforce would have to change. Instead, learning and work should be more integrated.
Dr Koh noted that, beyond new graduates, the workforce will need strengthening and upskilling to handle the immediate disruption posed by AI.
Instead of just seeing the technology as a replacement, the workforce should view it more as a complementary tool, he added.
The ESR committee is working on a playbook to guide businesses at a sectoral level to apply AI in their business processes.
“It is still a very long-term stream of work,” said Dr Koh, noting that the committee is still gathering more input from stakeholders, including partners, businesses and workers.
“Hopefully, towards the latter half of the year, we should be able to come up with a final set of recommendations.”
The ESR committee on human capital focuses on empowering workers with relevant skills, supporting career mobility and resilience, as well as preparing workers for future trends such as AI-driven disruption.
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