Apps & Consumer
Uber Eats launches AI-powered Cart Assistant for grocery shopping
Uber Eats has launched "Cart Assistant," an AI-powered tool in the U.S. designed to help customers build grocery carts faster by processing lists and images.
On Wednesday, Uber Eats announced the launch of “Cart Assistant,” a new AI-powered feature in the U.S. designed to help customers fill their grocery carts faster and more easily. The beta version of the tool is now available within the mobile application. To use the new assistant, customers select a grocery store in the Uber Eats app and tap the purple Cart Assistant icon on the store’s page to begin shopping.
The tool allows users to automate the process of building their shopping baskets by processing lists and images. Customers can enter a text list or upload an image, such as a photo of a handwritten list or a screenshot of a recipe and its ingredients. Cart Assistant then automatically adds the necessary items to the basket. To make the experience more personalized, the tool uses previous orders to prioritize familiar items, such as a user’s usual milk or favorite oatmeal. Users can still customize their basket by swapping items for preferred brands or adding more products from the store before checking out.
The launch is intended to address user demand for faster shopping. “Users were telling us they wanted a quicker way to shop, and we know how precious your time is,” Uber CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga said in a statement. “Cart Assistant helps you get from idea to checkout in seconds.”
The introduction of Cart Assistant could help Uber Eats better compete with other food delivery and grocery applications that are already deploying artificial intelligence. For instance, competitor Instacart launched an AI-powered search tool in 2023, utilizing technology from OpenAI to provide personalized recommendations and save shopping time. That same year, rival delivery service DoorDash was reportedly testing its own AI chatbot, called DashAI.
Additionally, Bloomberg reported in 2023 that Uber Eats was developing an AI-powered chatbot that would supposedly ask users about their budget and food preferences to assist with placing orders. The launch of Cart Assistant represents a concrete step in the company’s broader rollout of AI tools, which also includes merchant-facing features like AI-generated menu descriptions and enhanced food photography.
Why it matters
The grocery delivery market is increasingly defined by AI integration. This launch positions Uber Eats to better compete with rivals like Instacart and DoorDash that have already deployed similar AI-driven shopping tools to capture market share.