Grab Thailand introduces series of AI-powered solutions

Grab Thailand is developing a series of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions, aiming to increase revenue streams as it transforms to an AI-led organisation.

The company is focused on three main drivers of innovation — AI, Internet of Things (IoT), and in-app solutions — in order to serve Grab drivers, users, employees and merchants.

According to Worachat Luxkanalode, country head of Grab Thailand, revenue has grown by double digits over the past 12 months, which is higher than anticipated given the softening economy. The growth is attributed to consistently strong demand among Grab customers, he said.

Mr Worachat said Grab’s services have benefited from a continuing influx of inbound tourists that are users of its platform.

The company recently launched a series of tech highlights for stakeholders. For consumers, Family Account is a feature that can be used to book rides, track trips, chat with drivers, and pay for family members.

Food Locker is designed for office workers who often order food via the app, but may be stuck in meetings, providing both customers and riders with greater flexibility.

Mr Worachat said 34% of users in Thailand booked rides on behalf of family members. A Family Account helps communicate with a driver easily and pay for a family member’s ride from a single wallet.

The Food Locker feature is now available in four locations in Bangkok, namely The PARQ, Fyi Centre, the 9th Tower, and Centralworld Offices. The company plans to expand the feature to cover all major buildings in Bangkok by the end of this year. Grab has seen 20% of its current users switch their drop-off points to Food Locker.

Both the Family Account and Food Locker features are additions to the enhanced Group Order feature that was launched early this year. Currently, 93% of GrabFood users in Thailand are already ordering food via the Group Order feature.

Mr Worachat said the company also has technology that improves efficiency for drivers, including Indoor Maps, which help delivery partners locate restaurants within malls and buildings, saving up to 20% of their time.

Grab’s latest innovation, which uses AI to generate highly realistic food images, increases sales opportunities for the company’s merchant partners.

Grab also combines proprietary data science models and a wealth of unique data and insights to extend credit to merchant partners, many of whom may not be able to obtain loans from banks and traditional financial institutions due to a lack of formal credit history.

Currently, non-performing loans among merchant partners account for just 2.3% of the company’s total loans.

In terms of social, the company has continuously enhanced technology to ensure peace of mind for both users and drivers through pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip innovations.

Examples include biometric authentication for drivers, real-time trip monitoring, and audioprotect, which records audio during trips to prevent conflict or to provide evidence when it comes to disputes.

For employees, Grab has intensified its tech development and training programmes, particularly in the area of generative AI, to equip employees with the necessary skills required.