Technology company Grab and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have reportedly formed a collaboration for an AI laboratory. The deal had been signed with the intention of brainstorming solutions for traffic congestion and other transportation problems.

In a joint statement, both Grab and NUS announced that the AI lab was to be set up with an initial investment of S$6 million. They further added that the deal represents the varsity’s debut AI lab with a commercial partner and Grab’s first major AI lab. Ong Ye Kung, the Minister for Education, was also present when Anthony Tan, CEO, Grab, and Tan Eng Chye, NUS President signed the collaboration agreement.

As per sources, the lab will be at the Innovation 4.0 building in NUS and will house about 28 researchers working on different AI projects. The team’s main focus will be on increasing the efficiency and reliability of the transportation on the Grab platform in Southeast Asia’s cities. Gradually, they are expected to expand to research on challenges like livability and congestion. They will also use Grab’s data, which has supposedly facilitated more than 2 billion rides.  

According to an official statement, the research will focus on matching drivers to their preferred jobs and understanding driver behavior to improve safety. The research also aims to improve precision & accuracy of mapping pick-up locations and localizing vehicles so that drivers & their passengers can travel easily and efficiently.

As per Anthony Tan, Grab’s data shows that the travel time between Newton & Tanjong Pagar can be drastically improved if the route can be serviced by more shared transport solutions such as buses, trains, GrabShuttles, GrabShares & GrabHitchs. Travel time could come down from 40 minutes to 28 minutes, he further added.

It has also been speculated that PhD students enrolling in the university would be trained at this lab so that AI talent can be encouraged.