Grab to roll out Teen accounts, AI to detect tyre screeches and potential danger

SINGAPORE – Parents can soon manage Grab accounts designed specifically for their teenage children, with safety features for monitoring rides and tracking their children’s location on the go.

By the end of 2025, Grab plans to also use artificial intelligence (AI) to detect arguments, tyre screeches and signs of danger during rides for teens.

These are part of the new Grab for Family/Teens mode that the ride-hailing giant will roll out in South-east Asia from May, with plans to launch in Singapore by mid-2025 once it receives regulatory approval.

Other updates to the Grab app for users and merchants include an ordering mode for solo diners to pool food orders with strangers in the vicinity to save on delivery fees.

Grab unveiled the enhancements to its app and other upcoming projects at its inaugural product showcase event called GrabX at JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach on April 8.

Grab for Family/Teens, which is among the highlights at the event, is aimed at helping teens between 13 and 17 years old travel independently while giving their parents peace of mind.

Parents can add their teens to their Family Accounts by confirming their children’s names and dates of birth. This allows the teens to book rides on their own, while parents can track the ride and get notified when their child is picked up and dropped off.

Teen passengers will be assigned top-rated drivers with proven track records to ensure their safety.

To prevent pick-up errors, the teens must request for a ride PIN number from the driver and key it into their app before the ride can start. This also enables real-time tracking for their parents.

Teen accounts will come with Always-on AudioProtect, which will use

generative AI to detect possible danger in real-time

so that the firm can intervene, such as reporting the incident to emergency services.

The AI safety feature listens out for signs of distress, like loud sounds, tyre screeches, arguments, or inappropriate or predatory language, which will be flagged for human intervention. It builds on existing trip monitoring analytics that flag if a ride has suspiciously stopped or veered off-course.

The AI upgrade to AudioProtect feature, indicated with a microphone logo during the ride, is likely to be launched here in late-2025.

First trialled in 2023, the earlier version of AudioProtect, which records audio during a car ride for investigation purposes,

caught some users off-guard

as they said they did not recall being notified that recording will be turned on by default.

A Grab spokesman said on April 8 that the recordings are stored only on the driver’s and passenger’s devices for five days before they are deleted. They will not be accessed unless there is a reported safety incident.

Savings for solo diners

Another feature called Shared Saver will roll out in April, enabling solo diners to pool their orders with strangers in the neighbourhood to save on delivery fees.

It builds on the group orders feature that allows friends to gather orders and split the delivery fee.

Individuals can start their own Shared Saver order and wait for around 10 minutes for other users keen on buying from the same outlet. Alternatively, individuals can join ongoing Shared Saver orders, by looking out for merchants’ listings with a red timer on the Grab menu.

Users of Shared Saver will not be charged a small order fee, saving a few dollars each time. 

The trade-off is that users may need to wait a little longer for their order, as the system factors in time to consolidate nearby orders and deliver them across multiple locations in the area. Orders are spontaneous and will close after the timer runs out.

Drivers can potentially take on more orders per trip, making each journey more productive.

Another upcoming upgrade will enhance the Grab app’s map view with popular dining options and ongoing promotions that appear as users head to their destination.

They will also get real-time directions to navigate indoor spaces, including routes between different floors of a mall. About 30 locations, including Marina Bay Sands, Junction 8 and The Star Vista, have been mapped manually so far by Grab developers, with more sites to be added over the year.

In addition, travellers arriving at select airports can pre-book a Grab ride. The app tracks the flight progress in the background and automatically adjusts the booking pickup schedule based on the flight’s arrival time, ensuring that the driver arrives just in time.

Merchants on Grab can also use an AI assistant that recommends how to promote listings and analyses business performance.