Apps

Grab unveils agentic AI solutions for merchant, driver partners

The AI Merchant Assistant and AI Driver Companion

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Grab has unveiled agentic AI solutions to help merchant and driver partners unlock further potential on the superapp.

The AI Merchant Assistant and AI Driver Companion are intelligent solutions that provide valuable, actionable insights to Grab partners and help them with day-to-day tasks.

These were developed with AI research organizations OpenAI and Anthropic, with Grab taking advantage of their latest foundational models.

The development comes as Grab expanded its collaboration with OpenAI, which was first announced in May 2024.

The superapp has also signed a new strategic partnership with Anthropic to jointly develop new AI solutions and test the latest Claude models.

Grab AI Merchant Assistant

Grab’s new AI Merchant Assistant is a chatbot powered by Large Language Models (LLMs). It is integrated within the GrabMerchant app to provide merchants with tailored insights and help them handle daily tasks.

Essentially, the AI Merchant Assistant aims to level the playing field by becoming smaller businesses’ 24/7 business advisor.

Grab utilizes both OpenAI models and Anthropic’s Claude powers for the Merchant Assistant’s conversations with users. As such, it understands the merchant’s individual needs and responds to varied operational and business questions.

Moreover, it delivers precise and personalized recommendations, delivered in a friendly human tone.

It can also reach out to merchants with business suggestions, like how to improve sales, in addition to helping them handle certain tasks like creating ad campaigns and updating menus.

Soon, it will also suggest financing solutions tailored to individual merchants, including lending products from GrabFin and Grab’s digital banks.

Grab Al Driver Companion

Meanwhile, Grab’s AI Driver Companion features two new AI-powered solutions integrated within the Grab Driver app. This will allow drivers to be more efficient and productive on the road.

Grab’s new Al ride-guidance feature draws on real-time and historical data to predict where ride demand will be highest.

It guides drivers towards those hotspots more quickly and precisely to find bookings faster. So far, over 250,000 drivers across Southeast Asia use this feature on a weekly basis.

The AI-assisted voice reporting tool also enables drivers to update Grab about road conditions in real time. This is crucial for GrabMaps’ accuracy.

Grab harnesses OpenAI’s GPT-4o to more accurately categorize different types of road incidents and conditions from driver reports.

Historically, drivers manually submitted information about road conditions into the Grab Driver app, which was unsafe while driving and limited in detail.

With the new tool, drivers can do so verbally instead, flagging traffic, roadworks, flooding, and more, in greater detail and in multiple languages.

Apps

Firefox ad reunites all your favorite memes from decades ago

The Numa Numa Guy, Annoying Orange, and Chocolate Rain are back!

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Before Tung Tung Tung Sahur and Skibidi Toilet, the early internet was populated by charismatic personalities looking to make their presences felt in a land that didn’t have a lot of rules yet. As early users, we danced to “Dragostea din tei,” belted out “Chocolate Rain,” and copied “Shoes” word-for-word. Today, Firefox is bringing all those good memories back for a grand reunion.

In a new ad, the web browser featured ten of the biggest stars of the early internet including the aforementioned Numa Numa Guy, Tay Zonday, and Shoes’ Kelly. You can also see Annoying Orange, Chuck Testa, Overly Attached Girlfriend, Bad Luck Brian, Where the Hell is Matt?, the Apparently Kid, and the Success Kid.

Now, this isn’t just a reunion. The ad has a clear message about today’s most concerning issue: AI. Everything has “built-in AI, always asking, asking, asking,” as the Annoying Orange said.

“They make money by following us, and somehow, I’m the creepy one?” the Overly Attached Girlfriend asked.

All these famous personalities are asking what happened to the internet today. Obviously, the big takeaway is that we should all go back to Firefox.

Compared to other browsers, Firefox has a lot of built-in features that offer a lot of control for users. For one, it has its own VPN for privacy. Secondly, reflecting the ad’s message against AI, the browser has a toggle to minimize AI features.

SEE ALSO: Google illegally destroys 250,000 trees for a single AI data center

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Salesforce introduces Slack Frontline for deskless workers

Simple, secure, mobile-first way for deskless teams across retail, healthcare, manufacturing, field service

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Salesforce is bridging the massive divide between corporate headquarters and deskless workers with the launch of Slack Frontline.

This new solution is designed specifically for retail associates, healthcare providers, factory workers, and field crews.

The mobile-first workspace brings communication, data, role-specific tools, and AI together in a single clutter-free app.

While frontline employees make up about 80 percent of the global workforce, they have historically been left out of workplace transformation, often relying on paper checklists, group texts, and broken communication loops.

Slack Frontline addresses these challenges by giving mobile workers up to 10 role-relevant channels, instant Huddles with headquarters, on-demand AI agents, and automated workflows.

Backed by Salesforce data and enterprise-grade security, the platform lets IT teams govern the entire workforce under one secure layer with employee ID sign-ins, multifactor authentication, and compliance configurations like HIPAA.

This ensures that critical updates, training materials, and shift handoffs reach workers directly in their pockets without needing corporate email addresses or shared terminals.

Moreover, the platform is tailored to transform operations across multiple industries, including retail, home healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and field services.

For instance, retail teams can instantly sync promotions and monitor inventory, while healthcare professionals can securely review patient histories and coordinate care on the go.

Manufacturing and hospitality teams benefit from drastically reduced downtime and faster issue resolution, cutting response times significantly.

Slack Frontline is available now as an add-on for businesses on the Slack Enterprise+ plan.

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Apple Music is getting a Liquid Glass makeover

The new logo debuts next week with iOS 27.2.

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Apple Music is getting a revamp. In one of the tamer things going on with the brand today, Apple has introduced a new design language for its native music streaming platform.

In the midst of all the hubbub surrounding the iPhone Duo, Apple released a change in the visual identity of Apple Music. Rather than a static logo, the platform’s newest evolution offers a dynamic look that melds Liquid Glass and the power of sound together.

Confirmed through a behind-the-scenes video, Apple says that the new aesthetic was made with practical effects. Music producer Fred Again and NEST Acoustics submerged the platform’s logo in a tank of mineral oil and creating ripples with sound. The new language matches well with the chrome aesthetic typical of today’s trends and… well, Liquid Glass, of course.

Apple says that the more ripple-filled version will play before longer content like concert recordings (similar to Netflix’s startup stinger). Meanwhile, a black-and-white version will replace the app’s icon currently colored red and white. Current previews show off a simple logo, but it’s unknown whether Apple is adding a but more elements when the final version drops.

The updated version will debut for users after next week’s iOS 27.2 and macOS 27.2 updates.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Duo Unboxing and Hands-on

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