Grab Holdings unveiled 13 artificial intelligence (AI)-powered features at its annual product showcase GrabX 2026 on April 8, as the Southeast Asian superapp looks to deepen its role in users’ daily lives and expand its services across travel, payments and merchant tools.
Speaking at the event in Jakarta, chief product officer Philipp Kandal described the new capabilities as a “fundamental shift” in the platform’s evolution.
“Today, we are entering a new era: Grab as your everyday guide,” he says.
The new features span tools for consumers, travellers, merchants and drivers and are powered by Grab’s in-house AI infrastructure.
For consumers, Group Ride allows up to four passengers to share a vehicle by coordinating pickups and splitting payments. Grab’s AI plans the trip based on the most efficient route and calculates each passenger’s fare based on factors such as distance travelled, traffic conditions and time spent on each route.
Another feature, GrabMore, allows users to order from two nearby restaurants without additional delivery fees. Grab has also launched an AI Assistant, which taps users’ habits and preferences to provide recommendations for food delivery, dining out and shopping.
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Meanwhile, GrabMaps for Consumers helps users plan trips down to estimated travel times. Features include locating nearby amenities such as electric vehicle (EV) chargers and parking spots, as well as indoor maps for malls and buildings.
Finally, users who are new to credit or have limited financial history can borrow customised amounts through Cash Loan, which uses first-party Grab data and AI-powered underwriting.
Grab is also expanding beyond local services with a suite of travel features.
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The app has introduced four travel-related features, including a personalised travel experience that consolidates information and reminders, such as passport expiry alerts and check-in counter details, alongside a travel checklist within the app.
Grab is also launching GrabStays, a hotel booking service developed in partnership with Nuitee, as well as Discover by Grab, which allows users to find food recommendations by city.
Another feature, GrabPay for Travel, enables users to scan participating national QR codes and pay directly using debit or credit cards already saved on the app.
Businesses will also benefit from the new tools. One feature, Tap to Pay, turns GrabMerchant-enabled smartphones into contactless payment terminals, allowing merchants to accept card and QR payments directly through the app.
Business owners can also use Cloud Printer, a device that automatically prints orders as soon as they are received, eliminating the need for manual handoffs between the front counter and the kitchen.
Other features include a virtual store manager, which uses existing CCTV hardware to analyse queue lengths, foot traffic and conversion rates.
Drivers will also receive a new AI driver assistant, allowing them to seek advice on Grab’s policies or get help with common tasks, such as quickly sending messages to passengers.
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“We live in a world where humans who don’t use AI will likely be displaced… It’s a reality we must confront today,” says Grab co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan at the event.
Tan adds that while AI is not cheap, it “should not be a luxury for those who can afford it”.
He notes that the next step is to bring this “intelligence layer” into physical hardware such as autonomous vehicles, CCTV systems and, eventually, robots.
“In the process, as we work with the best AI labs from East to West, we hope to contribute to make their foundational models - like GPT, Claude, Gemini and Kimi - work better for Southeast Asia as a whole.” he says.
“Every major technological shift in history has created winners and losers. We’re in the AI revolution now, and the ending hasn’t been written yet. Instead of allowing the gap to widen between the tech-savvy and the underserved, we are choosing to use our intelligence layer to bridge it," he adds.
Group Ride, Grab AI Assistant, Grab Shopping Agent, GrabMaps for Consumers, Discover by Grab, Cloud Printer and Tap to Pay are available in Singapore. GrabStays will be launching first in Singapore by May while Personalised Travel Experience will arrive in the city-state by the third quarter this year. GrabPay for Travel will be rolled out in Singapore by the end of the year.
