Why did Jason use auto-tune?

Jason Derulo used auto-tune as an artistic choice for his song. He explains that the decision was driven by his desire to match a vocoder sample from an Imogen Heap track, which integrated seamlessly with the auto-tune effect. However, this decision was made around the time when auto-tune was heavily scrutinized, leading some to perceive it as a crutch and question his singing abilities 1.