Grab (NASDAQ:GRAB) used its GrabX 2026 event in Jakarta to unveil a slate of new consumer and merchant features built around what the company calls its “Grab Intelligence Layer,” positioning the super app as an “everyday guide” powered by AI, real-world signals, and expanding into physical hardware.
The event, hosted by news anchor Marvin Sulistio, featured remarks from Grab CEO and co-founder Anthony Tan, Chief Product Officer Philipp Kandal, and multiple product leaders. Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister of Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto also delivered prepared remarks focused on the country’s digital economy and workforce transition as AI adoption accelerates.
Anthony Tan frames “AI-First with Heart,” driver tools, and a move into hardware
Tan said Grab’s philosophy is to make AI accessible: “the benefits of AI shouldn’t be limited to only those who know how to use it, and it shouldn’t be limited to only those who can afford it.” He also said Grab is bearing “all the AI token costs” for tools like Coach and “Mai,” its merchant AI assistant introduced at the prior year’s event.
Central to Tan’s message was Grab’s “Intelligence Layer,” which he described as AI infrastructure using “real-world, real-time signals” across rides, deliveries, safety, and lending. He said it enables capabilities such as monitoring rides for safety signals, extending “safe and responsible credit lines” to people who otherwise may turn to loan sharks, and batching food orders based on factors including merchant conditions, weather, and roads.
Tan also outlined a shift beyond software into physical devices, citing autonomous vehicles, CCTV cameras, and “very soon, robots.” He introduced a robot named “Carrie,” describing it as a “superhuman extension” to drivers, not a replacement. Tan said drivers can lose around “10% of their earning time” searching for restaurants in large malls or waiting for customers in office towers, and suggested robots could reduce that idle time by handling parts of the pickup and handoff process.
Indonesia’s economic minister highlights growth, talent development, and digital policy
In his remarks, Coordinating Minister Airlangga Hartarto said Indonesia’s economy has shown resilience amid global uncertainty, citing fourth-quarter growth of “5.4%,” which he characterized as among the fastest in the G20. He pointed to household consumption as a key driver and said it represents “53.63%” of national GDP.
Hartarto linked Indonesia’s scale to Grab’s footprint, stating that “40% of Grab is operated from Indonesia,” and said the government views “digitalization and AI as new engine of growth.” He cited an e-commerce gross merchandise value “almost $100 billion,” Indonesia’s rank of 55th in the 2025 Global Innovation Index, and a startup ecosystem of “3,200 startups” and “7 global-scale unicorns” across sectors including food and beverage, fintech, e-commerce, and transportation.
He also addressed labor-market shifts tied to technology adoption, citing a World Economic Forum projection that “22% of job roles will change” in coming years. Hartarto said the government is collaborating with Arm to develop “15,000 talents” to prepare for AI.
On regional policy, he referenced the ASEAN Digital Economic Framework, saying Indonesia initiated it and expressed hope it will be signed in 2026 under Philippine leadership, describing potential digital opportunity rising “from $1 trillion-$2 trillion in 2030.” He also urged that AI tools benefit merchants and small businesses, and mentioned data centers and local hosting requirements, saying Indonesia is “the most competitive” on factors including land, electricity, and water. Hartarto also referenced Grab distributing Hari Raya bonuses and encouraged continuation and expansion of such support.
Grab’s consumer roadmap: Group Rides, GrabMore, GrabMaps, an AI assistant, and Cash Loan
Kandal said Grab has fulfilled “20 billion rides and orders” over 14 years and framed GrabX 2026 as a shift toward an “intelligent partner that thinks with you.” He said the company aims to make everyday life easier by using its data and local insights through the Intelligence Layer.
- Group Rides: Kandal described a ridesharing feature where each rider sets a drop-off from their own phone, can coordinate through a “virtual waiting room,” and has fares split automatically based on distance traveled. He said riders can “save up to 40% compared to riding alone.”
- GrabMore: A feature allowing customers to order from two restaurants in one order, paying “one delivery fee,” with a single driver picking up both orders so they arrive together.
- GrabMaps for Consumers: Senior Product Manager Soh Leng Loo said GrabMaps can sync with a user’s calendar to recommend departure times and adjust routes based on “real-time weather” and traffic, including flooding alerts. She also said the map includes EV charging stations, available parking, and public transport information, and that it works indoors for complex malls. Loo said Grab added custom navigation voices using “AI voice cloning.”
- Grab AI Assistant: Head of Engineering Xiaole Kuang described a chatbot experience that uses models such as “Anthropic Claude” alongside Grab’s understanding of user needs. She gave examples including a lunchtime “nudge” based on ordering habits, helping plan a dinner for a large group with constraints, and building a grocery basket by snapping a photo of a handwritten list or using voice.
- Cash Loan: Kandal said Grab is bringing a consumer lending product to complement similar offerings for drivers and merchants. He said Cash Loan decisions can be delivered “in seconds” by evaluating how a user has been using Grab, with users selecting the amount and repayment plan.
Travel features: personalized travel flow, Discover, GrabPay QR interoperability, and GrabStays
Grab also outlined new tools aimed at travelers across Southeast Asia. Senior Design Manager Loribeth Kaye introduced what she called Grab’s “personalized travel experience,” designed to consolidate travel details and reminders within the app. She said the experience includes reminders such as bringing a passport, identifying terminals, surfacing check-in and gate details, alerting users to last-minute changes, and offering an arrival card reminder. She also said travelers can purchase a local eSIM in-app and use indoor navigation to reach pickup points, alongside TravelPass discounts.
Kandal also introduced Discover by Grab, a feed of user-generated food posts that uses AI to learn tastes and surface relevant recommendations. He said users can like, save, share, and post content, and then take actions directly in the app such as reserving a table, ordering delivery, or booking a ride.
On payments, Kandal said GrabPay will enable travelers to “pay with any local QR code” across Southeast Asia by linking a credit card once and then scanning “like a local.”
Finally, he announced GrabStays, hotel bookings within the app focused on “competitive last-minute rates,” which he said is powered through a partnership with Mitra and uses AI to find deals. He also described “Partner Apps,” integrations built into the Grab app to avoid switching apps or creating new accounts.
Merchant tools: AI CCTV, Tap to Pay, and a Cloud Printer
Turning to merchants, Grab showcased new tools intended to bring AI beyond the screen and into store operations. Grab Trust & Safety analyst Muhammad Hanif Naufal Eka Wiratama described building an AI-powered CCTV system as part of the GrabForGood MBG program delivering “thousands of free nutritious meals” to students. He said the model was trained on “12,000 images” and can detect whether kitchen staff are wearing masks, hair nets, and aprons, and can spot pests.
Building on that work, Kandal introduced the Virtual Store Manager, which he said turns standard CCTV into operational intelligence that can track queues, foot traffic, and hygiene issues, and can alert merchants if a store is not open on time—particularly useful for multi-outlet operators.
Grab also launched Tap to Pay for merchants, enabling card acceptance “straight from the GrabMerchant app” by turning a smartphone into a payment terminal. Kandal said merchants can get started by updating the app and would not need extra equipment, bank queues, or paperwork.
Another hardware product, the Cloud Printer, is designed to send orders directly to kitchens. Kandal said it alerts kitchens with a green light, announces orders in the local language, and prints a receipt; a QR scan then updates order status to “ready” in Grab’s system. He added the device can detect inactivity via a microphone and pause order acceptance if a restaurant is closed but forgot to turn off orders.
Kandal said Grab introduced “13 new products” during the event and noted that “many of those features are live” already. He also promoted Grab’s Early Access program, stating it has grown to “200,000 users” and has generated “4,000+ feature improvements.”
About Grab (NASDAQ:GRAB)
Grab Holdings Inc is a Singapore-based technology company that operates a consumer-facing “super app” across Southeast Asia offering services spanning ride-hailing, food and package delivery, and digital payments. Its platform connects consumers, drivers, merchants and delivery partners through mobile applications and supports on-demand mobility (taxi and private car), last-mile logistics, and on-demand food delivery under brands such as GrabFood and GrabExpress. The company has also developed a merchant-facing ecosystem that supports ordering, payment acceptance and loyalty functions.
Beyond transportation and delivery, Grab has expanded into financial services through Grab Financial Group, which provides digital payments via GrabPay, consumer lending, insurance distribution and small-business financial solutions.
