The Business Times
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Instead of reducing the need for humans, Grab’s AI push might result in the opposite

Artificial intelligence can impair conceptual understanding, code reading and debugging; software developers still needed for such higher value roles

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Benjamin Cher

Benjamin Cher

Published Wed, Apr 22, 2026 · 07:00 AM
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    • Anthony Tan, Grab's group CEO and co-founder, says: “We have been deploying auto-adaptive technology to optimise our core marketplace in each city, enabling us to scale in a lean and agile fashion.”
    • Anthony Tan, Grab's group CEO and co-founder, says: “We have been deploying auto-adaptive technology to optimise our core marketplace in each city, enabling us to scale in a lean and agile fashion.” PHOTO: BT FILE

    [SINGAPORE] Grab has been a consistent advocate of artificial intelligence, having posted monthly in its internal blog about the different ways it uses AI since January 2024.

    CEO Anthony Tan has even credited AI for maximising efficiency in a recent fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, as it allowed the super app to double the number of cities it serves while reducing operations headcount.

    “We have been deploying auto-adaptive technology to optimise our core marketplace in each city, enabling us to scale in a lean and agile fashion,” said Tan.

    Hock Lock Siew

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