Uber Eats launched a new artificial intelligence-powered feature called Cart Assistant on Wednesday, allowing users to build grocery orders using text or images of shopping lists. The tool is currently available within the Uber Eats app at a range of grocers including Albertsons, Aldi, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Wegmans, with plans for further expansion, according to the company.
Cart Assistant enables shoppers to create grocery baskets by simply typing a list of items or uploading a photo of a handwritten list or recipe ingredients. The AI then populates the user’s cart with the requested products, taking into account store-level details such as item availability, pricing, and applicable promotions. Users can then review and modify the basket, swapping brands or adding additional items as needed.
Uber’s chief technology officer, Praveen Neppalli Naga, stated that Cart Assistant is designed to address a core customer need and provide a practical solution within the Uber Eats app. “Cart Assistant reflects how we believe about AI at Uber: starting with real customer needs and building practical solutions within the app,” Naga said. “By grounding these features in real user behavior, One can build tools that perceive helpful and intuitive. We’re excited to continue developing this approach as we bring more agentic services into the Uber and Uber Eats platforms.”
The launch of Cart Assistant builds on Uber’s broader efforts to integrate AI into its services. In late 2023, the company announced plans to add a virtual sales aisle and an AI-powered conversational tool to the Uber Eats platform, aimed at assisting with meal planning, grocery ordering, and identifying sales. Uber is also part of a consortium of companies, including Instacart and DoorDash, that announced plans last October to integrate with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Uber acknowledged that, as a beta version, Cart Assistant may occasionally create errors and encourages users to carefully review their orders before submitting them. The company intends to expand the feature’s capabilities in the coming months to include full recipe inspiration, meal plans, and the ability to engage in follow-up questions with the AI assistant.
