Uber Eats' new AI feature can fill your grocery cart
What's the story
Uber Eats has launched a new AI feature called "Cart Assistant," aimed at simplifying and speeding up the process of filling grocery carts. The beta version of this innovative tool is now available in the app. To use it, customers simply search for their preferred grocery store in the Uber Eats app and tap on the purple Cart Assistant icon on that store's page.
User experience
How to use Cart Assistant
The Cart Assistant lets users enter a list of groceries or upload an image of one, like a handwritten note or a recipe screenshot. It then automatically adds the required items to their basket, taking into account deals and usual purchases. After that, users can customize their basket by swapping brands or adding more products from the store before checking out.
Personalization feature
Prioritizing familiar items
The Cart Assistant also uses past orders to prioritize familiar items, such as your usual milk or favorite oatmeal. This way, it makes the shopping experience more personalized. "Users were telling us they wanted a quicker way to shop, and we know how precious your time is," said Uber's CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga, explaining the purpose behind this new feature.
Market influence
Staying ahead in the market
The introduction of Cart Assistant could give Uber Eats an edge over its competitors in the food delivery and grocery app market. Other companies like Instacart and DoorDash have already started integrating or developing AI chatbots for their services. Last year, both Uber Eats and DoorDash integrated with ChatGPT for more efficient food ordering, further showing the trend of AI integration in this sector.
Information
Broader strategy toward AI integration
Uber Eats is also investing heavily in other AI tools, including ones for merchants like AI-generated menu descriptions, enhanced food photos, and customer review summaries. This shows broader strategy of using AI to enhance user experience and streamline operations across different aspects of its business.