The robot, dubbed “Carri,” is one of several AI-powered solutions unveiled by Tan in a speech at GrabX 2026, the company’s annual product event. Grab is a super app that operates in Southeast Asia and offers food and grocery deliveries, ride-hailing services and digital financial services.
Carri is designed to assist drivers, not replace them, Tan said during the speech.
“Our drivers lose around 10% of their earning time looking for a restaurant in a mall or waiting for their customers to come down from office towers,” Tan said. “If this little fellow can help handle that ‘wait’ by finding the restaurant and passing the order to the driver, it allows our drivers to move to the next job more quickly.”
PYMNTS reported in March that physical AI is drawing investor attention as venture funding flows toward companies building systems designed to operate in the physical world.
On Wednesday (April 15) it was reported that Barclays said robots and drones could reduce food delivery costs to as little as $1 per order.
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Together with Carri, Grab unveiled 13 AI-powered experiences at GrabX 2026, the company said in an April 8 press release.
For consumers, Grab introduced Group Ride, which helps riders save on fares by sharing a ride with others; GrabMore, which allows customers to have orders from two merchants delivered with a single delivery fee; Grab Shopping Agent, which is part of Grab AI Assistant; GrabMaps for Consumers, which integrates a Journey Planner and other tools with maps; and Cash Loan, which offers credit to consumers who have limited financial history.
For travelers, the company unveiled Personalised Travel Experiences, an AI travel companion that shares information and reminders; GrabStays, which serves as a hotel booking service; Discover by Grab, which provides a guide to local restaurants; and GrabPay for Travel, which aids with payments across Southeast Asia.
For merchants and drivers, Grab announced Virtual Store Manager, which uses CCTV hardware to provide information to managers; Cloud Printer, which automatically prints orders for kitchen staff; Tap to Pay, which turns GrabMerchant-enabled smartphones into contactless payment terminals; and Driver AI Assistant, which answers drivers’ questions.
“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,” Tan said during his speech. “And we want to help as many people as we can.”
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