Travel companion: Grab introduces new AI-powered features for travelers

Janelle Liong - Philstar.com

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Planning a trip usually takes time, particularly when visiting a destination for the first time. However, people travel in different ways.

Some may plan months in advance and prepare an itinerary for the whole trip, while others prefer to do it spontaneously and flexibly. Whether you’re a Type A or Type B traveler, tech company Grab aims to deliver a “more end-to-end travel experience.”

The company unveiled 13 new product features powered by artificial intelligence (AI) at its annual GrabX showcase, presenting its superapp as an “intelligent everyday guide” for millions of users across Southeast Asia.

One of the upcoming features is the personal traveler experience feature, which it calls “travel companion.” It puts all travel details and reminders in one place, from passport reminders and check-in counter information to departure gate updates and flight changes.

It also includes a checklist for essentials like eSIMs, as well as indoor navigation to guide users upon arrival at airports.

This feature will be rolled out in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam by the third quarter of the year.

Other features for travelers include Discover for finding food spots and restaurants; GrabPay, for scanning national QR codes to pay directly with home-issued cards; and a hotel booking service offering same-day rates.

New features launched, such as Group Ride, Maps, AI Assistant, and Cash Loan, are designed to improve convenience in transport, deliveries, navigation and financial access within the app.

The Group Ride allows up to four people to share a ride and split fares even with different pick-up or drop-off points; the GrabMore lets users place two separate orders for one delivery fee;  the AI Assistant provides recommendations and booking assistance; the Maps offers travel options, indoor navigation and public transport schedules; while Cash Loan provides accessible credit to consumers.

Grab co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Anthony Tan introduced one of the new features, the Driver AI Assistant, describing it as more than a tool but rather a smart companion for drivers.

“The benefits of AI shouldn’t be limited to only those who know how to use it, and shouldn’t be limited to only those who can afford it,” Tan said during the launch attended by its partners and media, including Philstar.com. 

“We believe that everyone — regardless of their technical skill — should have the opportunity to jump on this AI wave, not be swept away by it. And we want to help as many people as we can,” he added.

New tools for the company’s merchant and driver-partners include Virtual Store Manager, Cloud Printer and Tap to Pay.

Some features are now available in the Philippines, while others are set to be released by the third quarter and by the end of the year.

These new products are powered by the Grab Intelligence Layer, the company’s AI infrastructure built on insights from 20 billion rides and orders.